The Midnight Riders
by LumpyChunks
Summary: One year on and the world is a very different place.The Midnight Riders, forming of Coach, Nick, Ellis and Rochelle are fighting a war against the infected and opposing Clans while Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey team up to try and rescue them.
1. Midnight

_**The Midnight Riders**_

Chapter One - Midnight

The afternoon sun had just sunk below the horizon leaving the faintest beams of light glowing low in the sky. Normally this would be the time for the street lights the flicker as they turned on, showing the way for motorists on their way home. Normally this would be the time for people to turn on their desk lamps, their ceiling lights and their porch lights inside their houses. Normally this would be the time for families to be reunited after a long day at work, school or any other normal activities. However the sun had just set over the United States of America, a place where the world normal was no longer used. The lights in the streets were dead, the buildings were empty and the homes were ransacked. No matter where you looked across the country the view in each city, town and community was the same; dead, quiet and forgotten.

Stories of what had happened to the once glorious, powerful and respected country were as well known as the ABCs. A virus had spread across the nation with such speed, strength and brutality that it was impossible to contain. As it passed along to Canada and down through Mexico to South America, the rest of the world could only watch as the west fell apart. Even those who were immune to the disease itself still suffered at the hands of the infection as their fellow citizens turned on them due to the effects of the virus; emotion, inhibition and humanity were replaced with uncontrollable rage, aggression and murderous intent. They could not help themselves, those who were infected and neither could those who were immune. Two weeks was all the time it took for one country to be fully decimated by the unstoppable force. Two weeks was all the time it took for men and women to be forced to take up arms and defend themselves against the face of evil; the virus that inhabited people's bodies. Two weeks had come and gone, in fact many weeks and months had passed by since that very first infection. The west had gradually been forgotten by the rest of the world, their attention focused on not allowing such a disaster to happen to be repeated ever again. The only thing, they believed, that remained on the western continents was death.

How wrong they were.

Under the glow of the moonlight was a large facility; an oil refinery according to the welcome sign that had been knocked to the ground long ago. Bullet holes and sizeable claw marks spoilt the face of the sign that lay in front of the facility, next to the security station that had only had a damaged barrier to prevent people from walking up the tiny concrete path to the main building. Outside the front entrance was a very large coach, the engine was not running and there were no signs of life through the dark windows. However there were signs of life through the entrance of the refinery, past the tattered reception area, down some deserted corridors and just beyond the doors that went to the storage area.

The doors to the area opened and two dark figures emerged pushing large flatbed carts into the corridor. The wheels squeaked as they rolled across the ground and the contents of the carts shook slightly as they were pushed along. The men were pushing large containers filled to the top with petrol that made a gentle sloshing sound during transport. The two men went through the corridors, past the reception that had a set of stairs past the main desk leading to the upper floors and made it outside just in front of the coach. The main door of the vehicle opened and a young man made his way down the steps and greeted the two. He then walked along the side of the coach and opened the storage compartment. Inside were many more petrol containers and he helped them load them inside. A woman made her way down the steps and poked her head around the side of the coach, watching them as they worked.

'This is the second load,' one of the men, a pale skinny man in his thirties wearing a once expensive but now a slightly dirty and tattered suit, spoke with a subtle tone of excitement. His name was Nick. 'We've really hit the jackpot.'

'We need to get as much as we can,' said his partner, a man who was slightly older with darker skin. He spoke with a tone of authority as they loaded up their coach. The man had a bald head and was slightly large, although not as large as he had been a year ago. He wore casual clothes and his name was Coach.

'Maybe we should leave some for somebody else?' the younger man suggested. His voice was gentle but also naive. Wearing similar clothes as Coach, Ellis outfit was completed with a blue cap that rested snugly on his head. Coach and Nick stopped for a moment and looked at Ellis seriously. They had become used to Ellis' way of thinking over time but still found it difficult to believe the things he said sometimes.

'We need as much as we can, Ellis,' Coach told him. 'It's not easy to run this bus. We need to do as much as we can to keep it running as it keeps us safe.'

'Yeah, I know,' Ellis loaded a canister into the storage area and then paused for a moment, looking at Coach. 'It's just it don' feel right; just takin' from folk without askin', you know?'

'I hardly think anyone will miss this,' Nick chuckled, continuing to transfer the canisters onto the bus.

'You know what I mean,' Ellis sighed. 'It's just not right.' Coach gently took Ellis' arm and pulled him aside, allowing Nick to continue the work. They stood by the door to the bus, being watched by the woman on the stairs, who was dressed in a semiformal clothes.

'I know it ain't right,' Coach told him sincerely. 'Nothing's been right for ages though. I mean it's hard enough staying alive without them bitches causing us grief or those people who want to hurt us so that they can get what they want. On top of all that we need to find food, gas for the bus, ammo for our guns...' Ellis nodded slowly as Coach spoke to him, understanding what he was saying. 'Kid we're just like everyone else; hanging onto life with our fingernails. Everyone out there wants to do everyone else harm. If you're not one of them, you're somethin' else and that's when they start shootin' at you. The only way you can talk to these other people is if you got something they want and they have something you want.'

'I guess,' Ellis whispered softly. Coach patted him on the shoulder, keeping his hand there for a moment as he smiled caringly at him.

'What we do,' he told him, 'we do to survive.' Ellis nodded in understanding. Coach gestured to the door of the bus, offering Ellis to go inside while he and Nick finished loading the petrol. Ellis stepped away from Coach and went to the stairs. The woman watching out took a few steps backward inside the bus as Ellis walked up.

The inside of the bus was massive. Ellis stepped past the woman, smiling pleasantly at her as he went to the driver's seat and sat down behind the wheel. As the woman with long and slightly messy brown hair with a noticeable hint of grey went to join Ellis in the front passenger seat, she moved away from the rear of the bus. On one side was a kitchen area while on the other was a set of rooms built into the bus. There were four doors, each were individually labelled. One belonged to Ox, while another belonged to Smitty. The other two belonged to Jake and Dusty. Further back at the rear of the bus was a seating area with a small table surrounded by a leather sofa that was built around the three walls of the rear section. The carpet was dark grey, the walls and furniture were mostly made of dark wood and the ceiling held lights that dimly lit the interior of the bus. The windows were tinted and it was impossible to see in from the outside. Sitting next to Ellis, Norah turned her chair so that it faced him and then smiled at him, taking his hand and holding it in hers tenderly.

'You okay?' she asked him, already knowing the answer.

'I am,' Ellis nodded, not looking at her. 'I am.' Norah bowed her head, still holding his hand. Ellis swallowed hard as he looked out of the front. 'I just don't know how much longer I can take this.' Norah glanced back up at him and listened caringly. 'We've been living like this for almost a year now and I can't take it anymore I just can't!'

'We all wish that we could leave this all behind,' Norah said supportively.

'Wishing ain't enough,' Ellis told her.

'I don't know about that,' Norah sat back, allowing Ellis fingers to slide out of her hand. 'I guess it depends on what you wish for.'

'Well I wish I was out of here.'

'I don't think you do,' Norah spoke honestly and Ellis looked at her questioningly, prompting her to elaborate. 'If you were out of here then you'd no longer be with us; the people who keep you safe, who you keep safe and who are your friends.'

'I guess so.' There was a brief silence before Ellis spoke again. 'I wish Rochelle was here.' Norah pursed her lips and once again looked to the floor by bowing her head.

'I know you do,' she whispered. There then came a noise from the back of the bus and two people emerged from Smitty's room. One of them was a young man named Drake with bright, glorious, thick red hair that was styled well, considering the circumstance. He wore skinny jeans with a slim fitted black shirt that showed off his slight muscle tone. His face, while handsome, was still undeniably young; he looked no older than eighteen. The woman was named Danielle and she was tall with long blonde hair and appeared to be in her forties. She was dressed in casual pants and a neat blouse.

'You guys okay?' Drake asked.

'We're just having a moment,' Norah told him. Danielle took Drake's arm and pulled him away, saying that they should give Norah and Ellis some privacy. She looked back at Ellis who was now sat up in his chair, pulling the seatbelt over him and securing it tight. As he grabbed the wheel, Norah knew that their conversation was over and so she stood up and left Ellis alone just after she rested her hand compassionately on his shoulder.

Norah went over to Danielle and Drake who were sat in the seating area to the back of the bus. She put her hands on the table as she leant forward, letting out a tired sigh.

'You okay?' Danielle asked her.

'Yeah, I'm fine,' Norah massaged her forehead with her fingers. 'It's just Ellis; he's becoming more and more upset with what we do.'

'What do you mean?' Danielle asked.

'He believes we should try and build bridges.'

'With people like Thomas Galt?' Drake asked disbelievingly. He was surprised to see Norah nod her head at him. 'He can't be serious.'

'He's a very sweet and caring boy, Drake,' Danielle told him. 'It's only natural for him that he wants to help out others.'

'I don't want to get killed because he wants help our enemies,' Drake protested. 'If he wants to be like that we should throw him out.'

'No one is getting thrown out!' Norah told Drake, leaning in close to the boy. 'Don't let Coach hear you talking like that or he may make an exception.' She stood back up tall. 'We need to stick together if we're going to survive and that means appreciating other people's opinions, not throwing them out if we disagree with them.' As they continued their conversation, Ellis leant around his seat at the front and looked over at them.

Just outside, Coach and Nick had loaded the last container of petrol onto the bus and gently closed the storage area.

'What do you think?' Nick asked Coach, wiping some sweat off his forehead. 'One more load should do it?'

'I reckon so,' Coach nodded. The two went back inside the facility and walked through the corridors back toward the storage area. As they made their way there, Nick looked at Coach, eager to say something. However, he remained silent and glanced back ahead. After a few more steps, Nick looked once more at Coach before turning his gaze forward again. 'If you've got something to say then just say it.' Nick blushed slightly but spoke up regardless.

'Sorry for staring,' he said. 'I understand that you want as much gas as we can get but I can sort of see where Ellis is coming from. We have more than enough on the bus to last us a good few months. Why are we getting more?'

'We can trade it,' was Coach's answer.

'Oh, I see,' Nick spoke happily. 'That sounds like a good idea. Who are we going to trade with?'

'I'm going to call Henry James,' Coach told him just as they were about to step into the storage area. Nick stopped still as he heard the name Henry James and simply stared at Coach in disbelief.

'You're joking, right?'

'He's in bed with Galt,' Coach turned around at the doors, looking back at Nick. 'We could do with them not working against us.'

'Yes but last time we dealt with Henry he shot you and Rochelle,' Nick pointed out.

'A simple misunderstanding,' Coach waved his hand dismissively. 'Besides I reckon he'll be in a less shooty mood when he sees how much gasoline we're offering for him.'

'And what would we get in return?' was Nick's final question as he stepped close to Coach.

'We'd be invited to join Thomas Galt's little community,' Coach told him.

'Little?' Nick repeated. 'Christ, the man controls nearly the whole of the north-west.'

'Which is why we need him on our side,' Coach explained. 'We're not going to be able to keep up this lone wolf act forever. Sooner or later someone is going to die and when people like Rochelle leave...' Nick looked away with the mention of Rochelle, an unpleasant expression on his face. Coach stepped close to him and put his hands on Nick's shoulders, making him look at him. 'That's why we need more allies; we could live more comfortably than we do now.'

'I don't think Ellis will like this plan,' Nick sighed, not liking it much himself. Coach smiled at him and turned away.

'You let me worry about Ellis,' he spoke. His words were suddenly silenced by a loud cry in the distance. On the bus, the others heard it too and looked out of the window. It was a cry they had heard many times before and no matter how often they heard it, it terrified them. It was the sound of an immeasurable number of infected crying in unison, approaching them from the distance. On the bus, Norah ran to the kitchen area and passed weapons around. She took an Uzi for herself, handing Danielle a shotgun and Drake a set of pistols. Ellis turned on the engine of the bus and flicked on the lights. The dark bus was now illuminated with a logo of an eagle on each side with two swords going through it. There was a title in the middle of the logo; "Midnight Riders".

Coach and Nick decided promptly to leave the rest of the petrol and ran back toward the bus, Coach equipping his machine gun and Nick taking out his combat shotgun. The two turned a corner and heard the sound of smashing glass as they ran. Turning around, Nick looked back at the corner they had turned, thinking that he had heard something. A large number of infected emerged from the corner, making their way for him and Coach. Nick fired a few shots at the horde as he turned around and followed Coach back into the reception area.

As they made their way for the door, there was a sickly sound of something wheezing in the distance. Nick let out a scream as the tongue of a Smoker wrapped around his body and dragged him away from Coach, who looked back and followed his companion. The Smoker was stood at the top of the stairs, reeling Nick toward it. Coach jumped onto the reception desk that Nick was pulled past and fired a few shots at the Smoker. The bullets tore through the beast's face, tearing off chunks of bloody, mutated flesh and sending out a large plume of smoke that marked the infected's demise. Coach fired at the horde of infected that approached Nick as he stood back up, keeping him safe as he got back on his feet.

Before Nick had a chance to thank Coach, the hysterical laugher of a Jockey cut through the noise of the common infected and the short, hunched monster leapt from the crowd onto Coach, who was an easy target on top of the desk. Coach fell off and stumbled across the ground, the beast holding onto him tight. Nick went to go help but was forced to jump out of the way as he heard the dull roar of the Charger that was pushing its way through the horde. Barely missing him, the Charger ran past Nick and crashed into a wall. As it attempted to pull itself out, Nick unleashed a flurry of shotgun blasts at it and soon the Charger fell dead.

Coach let out a cry as the Jockey led him into the horde. Nick ran to help him, shooting away the other infected that got close to him. As he went to help Coach, Nick heard another sound over the horde, the sound that was beautiful over the cries of the infected; gunfire. Norah and Danielle had joined the fray, shooting away the infected that surrounded Coach and blasting the Jockey off his back.

Inside the bus, Drake was stood by the door, shooting any infected that attempted to get inside. The cry of a Hunter suddenly panicked him and his weapon jammed as he saw the creature crawl into view. The Hunter jumped forward into the bus and began scratching and clawing the helpless Drake. Ellis leapt from this seat, accidentally knocking the parking brake, and kicked the beast in the head. As it fell out of the bus, Ellis fired multiple shots into the hooded infected's body and it lay limp on the ground. However this did not stop it from moving as the bus was now rolling down the hill. Ellis cursed and jumped away from Drake to regain control of the bus.

Inside the reception, Nick saw the bus roll off and went to chase after it. However, a large Tank burst through the doorway, blocking his path. Coach told everyone to split up and he and Norah ran up one set of stairs while Nick and Danielle went up another. The Tank followed Nick and Danielle, running quicker than they could manage. On the other side of the reception's second floor, Coach and Norah made their way down another corridor as they attempted to search for something that they could use against the Tank. Norah opened the first door that she came to that went to offices. The door was stuck by something on the other side so she pushed hard to go through. This proved to be a mistake as when she stepped inside she heard the insane cries of the Witch she had just knocked over with the door. Norah swore under her breath as she ran away with Coach, the Witch hot in their heels.

Back outside, Ellis climbed behind the wheel of the bus as Drake attempted to hold onto the wall. The coach went over a bump and Drake was knocked outside, rolling across the ground as Ellis went on, trying to control the vehicle. As Drake stood up he looked around as he heard the blubbery sounds of a Boomer behind him. He saw it standing close. The obese Boomer vomited all over Drake who let out a cry and fired at it, the bullet causing it to explode as it pierced the skin. Drake fell back due to the shock of the blast and attempted to wipe the horde attracting bile from his eyes. As he regained his sight, he saw a group of the infected headed straight for him. His pistols nowhere to be seen, Drake shuffled back as they got close. As they were within mere meters from him, Drake thought that this was the end of him. Luckily, Ellis proved him wrong by driving the bus past him and right over the infected; Drake looked around and found his guns as the infected were horrifically crushed underneath the wheels of the bus. Drake shot the last remaining infected and ran around the bus to get inside as it stopped. However, Ellis refused to let him on as he was covered in bile. Drake let out a distasteful sigh as he began to strip out of his bile covered clothes.

As if Nick and Danielle's problems of a rapidly approaching Tank were not bad enough, they saw a Spitter emerge from the corner ahead of them. They were in a corridor with no other way out. Either they went ahead or turned back. Coach and Norah ran around a corner and saw the Spitter up ahead from a different angle. While it was facing Nick and Danielle its left-hand side was facing Coach and Norah. The Spitter arched itself back and shot out a sputter of highly caustic acid toward Nick and Danielle. The two ducked as the acid shot over them and hit the Tank in the face. The beast let out a cry of agony as it stumbled past them, toward the Spitter. Coach and Norah shot and killed the Spitter, resulting in a large pool of acidic sludge to be sprayed all over the ground. The sizzling sound of it dissolving everything it touched was unmistakeable. Coach and Norah, still chased by the Witch, leapt over the acid as the Witch ran through it. The infected let out a cry of agony as it went through the sludge, angrier than ever. The Witch made a deadly swipe for Coach but missed as the blinded Tank crashed into her. While Coach and Norah were able to dodge the brute, the Witch was not so lucky and was dragged through the acidic sludge and crashed through the outer wall, falling to the ground. The four exchanged glances as they stood there for a moment.

The distant cry of the horde encouraged them to get moving and they made their way promptly to the bus. After they all got inside, Ellis put the vehicle in gear and then drove off just as the horde swamped the oil processing facility. They drove off safely with what they had come for. The bus went through the broken gates and onto the open road with only a few common infected in pursuit. As the bus pulled away, the infected gave up their futile pursuit and the bus faded into the distance.

*

Meanwhile, a slick, sleek submarine was making its way through the ocean at quite a great speed. The Astute-class HMS Jaeger was closing in on its destination, the eastern coast of the United States of America. Despite its rather gentle size, the HMS Jaeger packed quite a powerful punch, with an impressive armament of naval mines, Tomahawk cruise missiles and Spearfish torpedoes. It had been specially built for the mission it was now currently engaged in and was heading without hesitation into the unknown. No one from the outside had been this close to America for nearly a year, fearful of the infection. The HMS Jaeger was going where no one had been before since the disaster, treading new ground and doing so with confidence and purpose.

The interior of the submarine was well constructed with easy to walk through corridors and spacious rooms. The bridge of the vessel was surprisingly roomy, with an area just before it that was even larger. The "Tactics Room", as the submarine's lieutenant commander called it, stood before the bridge and was the most notable feature of the HMS Jaeger. The large room was rectangular in length and apart from two doorways that allowed access to the bridge and the rest of the submarine, there were state of the art computer consoles lining the walls. The consoles spread up, with large monitors near the ceiling displaying status information relating to other areas of the submarine with other work station monitors and keyboards, along with other switches located lower down at arm's reach. In the centre of the room was a large raised rectangular table. This was the most interesting feature of the room as it was not a table but a touch screen monitor that was able to display a range of information, from maps to mission reports or submarine status updates. It was the heart of the room and was, for now, displaying a map of the world zoomed close to the coast of America. The submarine, according to information on the map, was roughly thirty minutes away from their destination, which was just off the coast of North Carolina.

Stood by the table in the Tactics Room was lieutenant commander Miguel Doyle. He was a dark skinned, dark haired man of average height. He wore a dark blue camouflage uniform. For his rank he appeared to be very young, his handsome face was one of unwarranted confidence over justified experience. He tapped the icon of his submarine with his finger and the display zoomed in closer. Information regarding the temperature of the ocean water, the depth they were at and strength of any currents was displayed. Dragging his finger along the display, Miguel shifted the image sideways toward the coast. The image then flashed red with a notice popping up informing him of restricted access. Miguel chuckled to himself as he typed in a password, which allowed him further access. Stepping away from the display, Miguel went to one of the consoles and pushed a button.

'Guest party,' he spoke into a microphone, his voice carrying all over the submarine, 'please report to the Tactics Room.'

Miguel's words reached elderly Bill first, who was sat in the submarine's mess hall. The tables were small ones with modest circular seats attached to them. Bill was lying over some of these seats, his favourite green beret tilted over his face, one of his beloved cigarettes in his mouth and his rather astute ears listening to the small, poor quality television that hung in the corner. He was dressed in a dark green camouflage uniform.

'Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of the infectious disaster that destroyed the western continents,' the newsreader said in between intermittent bursts of static. 'All over the world, memorial marches have been arranged in honour of the over one billion people who lost their lives due to the disease. A minute of silence will take place at twelve noon.' Bill removed the cigarette from his mouth and let out a chuckle, the smoke drifting up out of his mouth. He leant up and took the nearby remote and switched off the television, leaving the end of his cigarette as the only source of light in the now darkened mess hall. .

'Son, it's gonna take more than a minute to remember the dead,' Bill sighed to himself, forcing himself up and leaving the mess hall, the cigarette still in his mouth.

As Miguel's announcement interrupted Bill's television listening it had also interrupted the beautiful Zoey's eager learning. She was in the torpedo room talking to one of the crew about the weapons that the submarine had. As Miguel's voice echoed around the room, she looked apologetically at the crewman and politely excused herself. She promptly left but the crewman made sure to take a quick peek at her Zoey's rear just as she left. Her dark red camouflage uniform that she had been given showed off her body satisfyingly well.

As Zoey walked through the small corridors of the HMS Jaeger she heard two familiar voices coming from the sleeping area. Taking a brief detour, she stepped into the rather tight sleeping quarters and was surprised to find Louis standing behind Francis, thrusting against him. She watched silently for a moment, leaning casually against the wall as Louis was thrusting as hard as he could. The two men were both stood up and it appeared that Louis was trying to zip up Francis' camouflage uniform for him. Zoey let out a faint snigger and the two turned to look at her. Francis and Louis immediately separated, jumping away from each other.

'This isn't what it looks like,' they both insisted, speaking at the same time. Zoey chuckled and rolled her eyes. She did not have the heart to tell Francis that he had put his uniform on the wrong way round.

Zoey continued her journey to the Tactics Room. As she stepped into the corridor that led to her destination she heard Bill's voice in the distance. He sounded irritated. Zoey was also able to smell the smoke from his cigarettes. As she approached the room the thought crossed Zoey's mind of how many packs of cigarettes Bill must have brought with him for this trip as he smoked quite a lot on the way over, an admirable achievement considering how Miguel refused to allow smoking onboard.

'I agreed to take you and your friends with me as a personal favour for Anna Shepherd,' Zoey heard Miguel say to Bill, his voice sounding tested. 'Even so; I'm not going to have you disregard the rules on my boat or petulantly disobey my orders!' Zoey stepped over the parting between the corridor and the Tactics Room and announced her presence.

'Making friends, I see?' she said jokingly, causing Bill and Miguel to glance at her in unison. Feeling slightly weary, Zoey sighed and put her hands on her hips. 'Oh God, Bill, can't you just be nice for once?'

'He started it,' Bill sounded rather immature as he spoke.

'Started what?' Zoey suddenly had the feeling that she was acting like a mother.

'He won't let me smoke.' As Zoey heard what Bill said, she felt slightly embarrassed for him; embarrassed because he could not understand why smoking was prohibited onboard an underwater vessel. Not possessing the energy to think of an elaborate explanation for him, Zoey just decided to point out the obvious.

'We're in a submarine!' she cried, hoping that would be enough. Her thoughts were proven wrong as after Miguel thanked her for her support, Bill glared angrily at him.

'This isn't over,' he told Miguel. However, Miguel begged to differ.

'Oh yes it is,' Miguel took the cigarette from Bill's mouth, causing Zoey's mouth to drop. Although she was fairly sure that Miguel did not fully understand how serious Bill was when it came to his cigarettes, she admired his courage as he dropped the cigarette to the ground and stepped on it with his shoe, crushing the flame and the rest of the cigarette.

'Bill,' Zoey's voice was cautionary. She knew Bill far better than anyone else did, including Francis who had known him for longer than she had. She knew what Bill was capable of and her cautioning tone was more for Miguel's sake than Bill's. She wanted to let Miguel know that he could potentially find himself flying headfirst into the fancy table monitor that stood in the middle of the room.

'Keep out of this, kid,' Bill ordered Zoey, raising his hand up to her to keep her away. He put one foot forward, stepping toward Miguel who responded by putting one foot backward, maintaining the distance between him and Bill. 'You want to try something like that again?' Bill spoke as Miguel attempted to keep away from him. 'Just try it and I'll do the same to your genitals.'

With a morbid threat to Miguel's privates given voice, Zoey decided to intervene and stepped between the two. She spoke, forcing a sweet cheerful tone.

'Okay, maybe it's time we go over the plan again?' Her words were heard by the two men that she was separating but they looked at each other as if they had not. They were locked in a silent battle, one of angry stares and bitter rivalry. Neither one of them wanted to back down. Bill wanted to show Miguel who was boss. Miguel wanted to equally show Bill who he believed was in charge. Sensing that the battle of the facial expressions would not end anytime soon, Zoey joined in using her own serious glances directed toward Bill. As she silently told him to back down, Bill attempted to not look at her but soon sighed and closed his eyes, stepping back away from them.

'Fine,' he said as Zoey breathed a sigh of relief. 'But this ain't over.'

'What isn't over?' asked Francis who stepped inside the room closely followed by Louis. Zoey was thankful that Francis had figured out how to dress himself correctly but then the image of Louis helping him crossed into her mind. She spoke up quickly in an attempt to purge it from her system.

'Nothing,' she responded to Francis' question. 'Nothing at all.' Zoey smiled at Francis and then caught Louis' eye. She held up her hand in a slight wave. 'Hey.'

'Hi,' Louis did the same and the two exchanged longing glances. Bill noticed this exchange and sighed, pulling out his pack of cigarettes from one of his pockets. Without looking at him, Zoey put her hand on the pack and pushed them back into his pocket for him.

'Alright,' Miguel said after taking a brief moment to compose his thoughts. 'Now that you're all here we may as well go over the plan and ground rules.'

'Ground rules?' Bill interrupted, looking to the others for clarity. Finding none, he glanced back at Miguel. 'What do you mean; ground rules?'

'Well,' Miguel decided to be more careful and speak with tact, considering what had just happened. 'I've noticed you have control issues, Bill.'

'Just put me in charge,' Bill suggested. 'Then you've got no issue.'

'I don't think so,' Miguel told him. Bill's nostrils flared with anger and Zoey took his hand to try and relax him. 'While I am in charge of everything, you will need a team leader for when you're on the ground. Now you were fully aware that you were not heading out into the field on your own.'

'Yes but I thought that one of us would be taking the lead while we were out there,' Bill's tone was growing more annoyed and Zoey's comforting touch was not enough to calm him. Of course when he said "one of us" he actually meant himself. He went on to justify his way of thinking. 'We've fought those zombies before and come out smelling of roses.'

'The correct term is infected,' Miguel corrected him.

'I don't give a shit about political correctness!' Bill yelled.

'That's for sure,' Francis muttered coyly to Louis.

'What I care about,' Bill continued, 'is going back there, fighting those zombie bastards and finding our people. Only we can do that, not some half-trained monkey that you've stuck us with!'

'Well I'm sorry you feel that way,' said a woman's voice coming from the doorway. Stepping into the Tactics Room was a tall woman with long brown hair and bright green eyes. She walked inside confidently, making no excuses for joining the meeting right in the middle of a discussion. She wore the same dark uniform as Miguel. She moved around the table and stood beside Miguel, folding her hands behind her back and standing straight and tall. Miguel smiled as her appearance acted as a dam for Bill's continued protests.

'Everyone,' Miguel gestured to the woman. 'I'd like you to meet Madison Robinson. She will be the team leader while you're on the ground.

'It's a pleasure to meet all of you,' Madison's tone was genuine and her smile was heart-warming.

'She will be your superior,' Miguel continued. 'You will be expected to follow her orders without question. She is your boss and you are her tools to be used as she wishes.'

'I wouldn't put it like that, commander,' Madison chuckled, smiling at everyone. 'But I suppose in essence what you're saying is true.' She then spoke to the others, directing her comments to Bill in particular. 'I understand how passionate you are about this mission and how you desperately want everything to go well. That being said; the only way we will achieve success is if we work together. We all know what the infected are capable of and how teamwork is essential if we want to survive. I appreciate that you all have much greater experience than we do at fighting these things but what you must appreciate is that we have greater experience in carrying out these kinds of missions than you do. We don't mean to sound rude or patronising; we only want to do what is best for the mission and for ourselves in the long run.' Zoey nodded as Madison spoke, along with Francis and Louis. Madison looked at Bill who glared back at her. She smiled at him and he rolled his eyes and folded his arms.

'Fine,' he muttered begrudgingly. 'You're in charge.'

'Excellent,' Madison clapped her hands together. 'Now I will also be bringing along two of my best people with me.' She looked to the door and two men stepped into the room, joining them. One was short and slim while the other was tall and muscular. The tall man had a shaved head while the young man had short black hair. 'This is Malcolm,' Madison gestured to the short, young man. 'And this is Rex,' she gestured to the muscular man. Malcolm and Rex introduced themselves, Malcolm smiling more and appearing more enthusiastic to meet everyone than Rex, whose appearance remained rather cold as everyone become acquainted.

'You all are going to be working together,' Miguel told everyone. 'While Madison leads, Rex will ensure everyone's safety and Malcolm will keep communication lines open and help plot a course over the country.' He paused for a moment before speaking with striking seriousness. 'The America you four once knew is no more. Everything you will experience there will undoubtedly be new, dangerous and frightening. If we want to have any hope of finding your friends, we need to stick together. Do you understand?'

'We were right in the middle of the zombie apocalypse,' Louis told Miguel. 'We lost everything. We know how important it is to stay together.'

'Very good,' Miguel nodded. 'Then the plan is simple. In less than ten minutes we will surface having reached our destination just off the coast of North Carolina. A small boat will be launched which you can use to cross the sea and make it to the beach. From there you will have to find your own transportation, refill your own ammunition and supplies and take care of yourselves. I will provide support over the radio but you will be completely on your own as soon as you leave this vessel. So...' Miguel glanced around the room with the seven people looking at him. 'Are there any questions?' Bill looked from left to right. As no one else spoke up he decided to do the honours.

'When can we go?'

In no time at all, the seven were armed, equipped and ready to go. The submarine pierced the surface of the water as it rose up into the air sending large splashes of white seawater foam spraying everywhere. After the vessel had settled a much smaller one was launched from it. A small navy powerboat shot through the bouncing waves. While Madison and Rex were at the front, controlling the boat, Malcolm was sat talking with Francis. Zoey was holding Louis' hand as he was feeling seasick. Just as he leant over the side of the boat to vomit into the water, Bill put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. Despite the aggressive splashes of water, the tiny flame continued to burn until they pulled up onto the coast.

Bill put his foot on the beach sand, the first time in nearly a year he had set foot on American soil. Despite the conditions and the situation he felt happy to be home. While the three marines secured the boat, ensuring it would not float away; Louis knelt on the sand, continuing to feel sick. Francis was stood with him, making a joke that he would hold Louis' hair back for him if he had any. Zoey, having seen enough vomiting on the powerboat, moved over to Bill to talk to him.

'My God,' he took in the deepest breath of air and held onto it for as long as he could. Maybe it was because he had been stuck inside the submarine for so long but the American air tasted good; sweet and nostalgic. 'It feels good to be back home.'

Zoey silently agreed with him as they stood there for a moment. Up ahead were numerous deserted cars, abandoned long ago by their owners. Down the road was a small town that was in complete ruins and shambles, falling apart due to damage and lack of maintenance. Further ahead down several more roads, through some trees, passing through other towns and hundreds of miles away from the east coast was the Midnight Riders tour bus.

The area would have been nothing special back when everything was normal; a small airport with a single, small dirt runway. Up in the control tower were people with binoculars, looking out into the distance for any sign of trouble. The best part of places like these were that the entire surrounding area was flat and lacked any kind of landmarks, trees or anything else infected could hide behind. The airport was in the middle of a barren desert, essentially. It was this that made it such a good location for one of the many "Havens" across the country.

A Haven was a private place. People who wished to enter a Haven often had to pay to get inside. Payment came in many forms ranging from food, medicine and supplies to more exceptional forms of trading like people and sexual favours. Getting into this particular Haven was easy; Coach only had to pay a few containers of gasoline. This entitled him and the rest of his team, which he affectionately called the "Midnight Riders", to stay in the Haven safe from attack by the infected or other less desirable parties.

With the battle against the infected becoming harder each day, many people who were immune were presented with a choice; work together or die alone. Many people worked well within their little groups but soon groups of people began combining together and before you knew it a Clan was formed. Clans were, in essence, communities of people that acted in their own interest. Different Clans had different rules, with some Clans being lead by diplomatic, democratic leaders while others were ruled by a single individual. In the beginning, the Clans attempted to work together but as they grew larger, mistrust and suspicion also grew. No one trusted anyone who was not in their Clan and soon Clans started warring with each other, fighting the people they should be working with for things like food, water and supplies. There were many powerful Clans; some controlling an entire city with other controlled an entire state. Thomas Galt was the leader of the Clan that controlled the entire north-west, one of the most powerful men in America. Coach was parked in the Haven waiting for a messenger.

With most modern technology rendered useless due to the infection, those immune were forced to improvise. Messengers were used to deliver information across the country, often travelling alone to save precious time. Coach had hired a messenger he had used before, a young boy named Teek, to inform Henry James, a good friend of Thomas Galt, of his proposal. Worried for the safety of those he was travelling with, Coach wanted to join Galt's Clan for the security. He was prepared to trade in everything for the opportunity. Coach was the leader of his little group. As they roamed the country, rarely stopping in one place for long, they were classed as untrustworthy rogues. It was rare for a rogue to become a member of a Clan as their loyalty would be questionable and in the current climate; mistakes were often catastrophic to the Clan.

The dirt airport Haven was quite diverse. Small market stalls selling weapons, supplies and other interesting objects had been set up. The sun had risen over the small Haven town and was already setting, casting a warm orange glow over the area. The Midnight Riders had arrived at the Haven before sunrise and had sent Teek on his way almost immediately as they had arrived.

Inside the bus, Drake and Danielle were napping while Ellis was checking the engine on the outside, along with everything else as he usually did. Norah had gone to the markets to get some supplies and Nick happily joined her. Coach was left standing around the bus, feeling slightly useless. He was good at ordering people around, telling them what to do because everyone trusted him as much as he trusted them. It was when they were in Havens that he started to feel slightly agitated. On the road he was always on his toes, looking out for potential dangers but while they were relatively safe, his mind often drifted.

Coach thought about his fiancée, Ruth. He remembered how they had parted ways one year ago and how brutal and heartbreaking it was for him. He wondered what their baby would look like. Would it be a beautiful baby? Of course it would, but would it have more of his traits than hers? Would it grow up to be happy without its father? Would Ruth find someone else to help raise the child? Would she love her new partner as much as she loved Coach? Coach forced these feelings from his head and gave himself a shake. Ruth was history now. She was safe and so was the baby; that was all that mattered.

Needing a distraction, Coach moved around the side of the bus to talk to Ellis. Ellis was underneath the bus, his messy pants sticking out from underneath. Coach gently tapped Ellis' leg with his foot and the boy got out from under the bus. He had removed his shirt earlier and it appeared that was a sensible decision as his chest was covered in grease and engine oil. The year out against the infected had improved Ellis' physique. Spending a lot of time working on the bus to make sure it remained operational proved to be an excellent workout and Ellis' body was the trophy of that hard work. He had rock hard abs and a decent chest. His body was smooth but not too toned. Wiping his hands on his stomach, Ellis smiled at Coach.

'What's up?' he asked.

'Not much,' Coach was looking for a nice conversation rather than a specific reason to talk to Ellis. He thought back to when they had first met back in Savannah. They had got along so well and over time, Ellis had become like a son to Coach. Now things were different, the distance being an unfortunate side effect of Coach taking command. 'How's the bus looking?'

'Well actually,' Ellis wiped his sweaty forehead with his arm as he spoke. 'I had literally just finished the final touches when you came and tapped my on the leg. This baby is as good as new.'

'Excellent,' Coach smiled, nodding. 'I'm glad to hear it.' Ellis grinned at Coach and then began to pack away his tools. Coach glanced around the Haven area, not particularly looking at anything. All that surrounded them were a few market stalls and some other parked vehicles, although most of them were small cars. As Ellis finished packing his things away, Coach decided to say something else to him. 'I understand how you've been feeling lately; about us being selfish.'

'Oh really?' Ellis looked intrigued.

'Yeah,' Coach nodded. 'So I've decided that just because everyone else out there is only looking out for themselves doesn't mean we have to do that as well.' Ellis smiled at Coach, the brightest smile he had for a long time.

'That's great.'

'I'm arranging to see if we can join a Clan,' Coach told him. 'I'm sure we'll all be happy if we can find the right one.'

'I reckon we might,' Ellis nodded happily. There was a brief moment of silence as Coach was unsure of what to say next. Ellis decided to break the silence. 'Thanks, Coach,' he said. 'It means a lot that you listened to how I was feelin', you know?' Coach casually waved his hand at Ellis, telling him that it was no big deal. 'Well I reckon I'm gonna go get me a shower so I'll see you later.' Ellis stepped back onto the bus to collect some of his belongings and then left holding a towel. In the distance there was a market stall that provided soap and showers for its customers. It was a fact that Haven's really did live up to their name, allowing people to escape from the infected and become regular people one more.

As Ellis stripped naked after he paid for his shower, a little way down the markets, Norah and Nick were heading back to the bus carrying their shopping. In one bag were groceries; mainly food rations and water. In the other were ammunition and supplies. Nick was bragging to Norah about the great deal he got for modified pipe bombs, small bombs that emitted a sound that attracted infected to its position before it exploded. They were laughing and joking as they walked back.

'Of course you got a good deal on them,' Norah chuckled. 'You were a conman for God's sake. That's why we send you out to do most of the shopping so that you can haggle for the best deals.'

'Oh Norah don't be so coy,' Nick joked with her. 'My expertise has nothing to do with me getting the best deals.'

'Is that right?' Norah wondered. 'What is it then that makes you so good?'

'I'm the best looking out of all of you.' Norah let out a loud laugh as Nick spoke. 'Hey, it's true!'

'Oh I don't know about that,' Norah looked over and saw a flash of Ellis' buttocks in the distance. 'I think you've got some competition.' Nick looked over and saw what Norah was staring at and forced her to look away.

'You're perverted,' he told her, causing Norah to chuckle and nudge him to the side jokingly. The two made it to the bus and then loaded their supplies onboard. When they were done, they joined Coach outside as he waited for Teek.

'Still no sign of him?' Norah enquired, taking a seat on the last step leading up to the bus.

'I hate using messengers,' Coach sighed, looking concerned. 'I hate the feeling of the unknown. What's happened to them? Are they hurt? Are they dead? Did they get there? I mean if anything bad ever happened to anyone because of me then I'd feel so guilty.'

'Is that why you want us to join Galt?' Nick asked.

'I just don't want anyone to get hurt,' Coach told him. Nick and Norah exchanged glances behind his back. They believed what he was saying but felt that there was some underlying problem that they had not addressed yet. Norah speculated quietly with Nick that maybe Coach no longer wanted the burden of authority anymore.

Before anyone could elaborate any further, the quiet air was filled with the faint sound of a motorcycle engine. It was distant at first but slowly it became louder and came closer to the bus. Emerging from around a market stall, the bike rolled up next to the bus with two people in helmets riding it. Teek removed his helmet first as he stepped off the bike, moving over to Coach. He was a young man about the same age as Drake. His hair was long and black and his eyes were a deep blue. He smiled at Coach as he moved forward to shake his hand.

'What's the message?' Coach asked, getting straight to business.

'I delivered your message to Henry James,' Teek reported. 'He was interested by your offer.' Norah and Nick stood on either side of Coach, interested in what the boy was saying. 'He wants to meet with you to discuss details.'

'That's great news,' Coach smiled, looking at Nick and Norah happily. 'Where is the meeting point?'

'I don't know,' Teek told him.

'What do you mean?' Norah asked.

'He wanted to send one of his representatives with me,' Teek explained. 'She will sort everything out for you.'

'She?' Nick repeated, looking up at Teek's passenger. The woman put her hands on her helmet and pulled it off, revealing her face. Coach, Nick and Norah were surprised as they saw the woman shake her head to allow her black hair to fall down past her shoulders. She then looked ahead at them and smiled, putting her hands on her hips and resting the helmet in between her arm and her waist.

'How you doing, guys?' asked Rochelle, who stood by Teek, smiling at them. 'It's been a long time.'

**Well here we are; the beginning of my final Left 4 Dead fanfic. I wanted to combine the characters from the first game with the characters from the second in a new environment that would be fun for them and for you to read. I know it's not very canon but... hey, it's fanfic, right? **

**If you feel so inclined, I would appreciate any and all reviews. I love to hear what people think of my writing as I keep wanting to get better. So let me know what you think!**

**Andy**


	2. Midnight Part Two

_**The Midnight Riders**_

Chapter One – Midnight Part Two

As the infection that would eventually decimate the United States and the surrounding countries spread numerous individuals were left behind, forgotten by the rescue personnel. Husbands were separated from wives, friends were torn from their close companions and on a larger scale even remote communities were overlooked, condemned to face the infection on their own. With no appropriate medical care available, the bodies of those who were not immune from the terrible disease surrendered swiftly. It was these people that those who were immune were now obligated to manage. Many bloody battles were fought with the infected winning most of the contests. With seemingly no end to the infected, the immune rallied together, forming Clans. One of the most powerful Clans in the area had a man named Thomas Galt as a leader.

Thomas Galt was a charismatic man. He had a trustworthy face, infectious spirit and also an unquenchable thirst for power. One year ago as the world fell to pieces around him, Thomas Galt stood tall and rallied people to work together to survive. As time went on he became the unquestioned leader of his Clan. He expanded and grew his, what he called a "business enterprise", until he controlled the whole of the north-west of America. He was a powerful man. On the surface he was charming but if you had the chance to really get to know him you would see how sinister he really was.

Of course the only way to deal with men like Thomas Galt was to either run from them or join them or at least that was what Henry James believed. Henry James was accepted into Thomas Galt's Clan early into the disaster. As Henry worked with Thomas, he slowly began to see the sinister side in him that most people could not. Fearing this man he decided to do everything he could to please him as well as adopting many of his traits. When the Midnight Riders met with Henry to discuss trading supplies, Henry and his people decided to fire on them. Coach and Rochelle were both shot but their wounds healed quickly. It was not longer after that when Rochelle decided to leave the Midnight Riders. Nick had often wondered where she had gone to but he never would have imagined he would encounter her before him here, standing confidently in the middle of the small airport Haven, the orange sun setting in the sky behind her.

'Rochelle?' Nick was unsure of whether it was Rochelle standing before him, Coach and Norah or not. She looked the same but somehow at the same time, completely different. Her hair was the same as it had always been but her clothes appeared to be cleaner and more looked after than everyone else's. She appeared to be thinner than she had been before as her new clothes fitted her body snugly. As she stood poised by the motorcycle she had rode in on with young Teek, her helmet in her hand and her hair moving ever so gently in the cool breeze, she placed the helmet onto the motorbike's seat and walked over to Coach, Nick and Norah, her hands sliding into her pockets. Norah moved her hand to her back, ready to pull out her handgun that she had tucked in her pants.

'Isn't this nice?' Rochelle took in a long, satisfying breath. 'The old gang's back together again.' She glanced around for a moment. 'Is Ellis still with you?'

'Yeah,' Coach nodded slowly. 'He is.' He thought for a moment about what to say next. Norah spoke for him when he could not find the words.

'What are you doing here?' she asked Rochelle.

'I'm Henry James' representative,' Rochelle answered plainly. 'One of your increasingly younger crew just told you that.' She tilted her head in the direction of Teek who was stood by listening.

'Well I've done my job so I think I'll be going now,' Teek attempted to leave but Coach called him back.

'Wait right there.' Teek looked up at Coach, feeling slightly nervous. Biting his bottom lip slightly, he waited for Coach to say something else. 'Did Henry James really send her with you?'

'Yeah,' Teek answered, looking at Rochelle and then back to Coach, not understanding what exactly the problem was.

'And she was already working with him when you got there?'

'She sure was.'

'What's the problem, Coach?' Rochelle interrupted his questions, speaking with a.

'Oh no problem at all,' Nick said sarcastically. 'Who could see a problem with this when the last time you and Henry were together you ended up getting shot?'

'Well this is why I came with Teek here,' Rochelle confessed. 'I want to make sure things don't go all Clint Eastwoody like they did last time.'

'And how are you going to do that?' Nick queried, his tone harsh and blunt.

'I'm going to convince you not to come,' Rochelle told him. Everyone fell silent for a moment. Ellis appeared behind Rochelle, walking forward with a towel wrapped around the lower half of his naked body, holding it up with one hand while carrying his dirty clothes with the other. When he saw Rochelle he stopped.

'Ro?' he asked, unsure of whether it was her or not. As Rochelle turned to look at him, Ellis dropped everything that he was holding in surprise. Norah sighed and closed her eyes, looking away as Ellis towel blew away in the wind. Rochelle looked at Ellis smooth, toned body while making absolutely no effort to disguise her ogling. However, Teek was more discreet, sneaking a quick peek at him. Rochelle grinned at Ellis, looking up and down his body.

'Nice to see you again.' As Ellis concealed himself, Rochelle grabbed his towel that flew by in the wind without looking away. She then threw it toward Nick and it flew straight into his face. As he struggled to pull it off, Rochelle removed her glance from Ellis' body and looked to the others. 'Now shall we talk business?'

Madison Robinson had been a soldier for what felt like her entire life. She rose through the ranks quickly after displaying her proficiency in the use of weapons, unparalleled skill, demonstrating her strength and stamina in combat situations and by proving that she was a first-rate, logical and overall outstanding as a leader. Although she had been in charge during too many missions for her to keep track of, Madison had always been able to command her subordinates with ease. She believed it was down to her natural charm, her hard earned reputation or simply down to her beautiful good looks. Whatever it was, Madison was able to lead well and had never once encountered someone under her command that was insubordinate, disobedient or just plain rude. Madison was soon to discover that she would encounter all of these traits in a Vietnam veteran named Bill.

'I think you're full of crap!' he exclaimed as they had arrived at the top of the beach they had landed at. The sun had set and the only light came from the moon and the flashlights mounted to the survivor's weapons. Everyone held sleek assault rifles. Madison and her two soldiers Malcolm and Rex were stood on the road, looking to move forward down a path surrounded by trees. Bill had other ideas and insisted that they went in the other direction toward a residential area. Francis and Louis stood back and watched the altercation while Zoey had turned away in embarrassment. 'If we go down there we'll be ambushed!' Bill insisted. 'Those trees on both sides of the road will make us an easy target. A Smoker could pull one of us away into the darkness while a Hunter could pounce on those that go in after them.'

'You say this as if they can work together,' Malcolm scoffed in disbelief, speaking before Madison had a chance to respond to Bill's comment. Bill stepped forward menacingly in Malcolm's direction. The frightening expression on his face caused Rex to aim his weapon at him. Madison was quick to make him lower it.

'Son,' Bill looked right into Malcolm's eyes, making him feel uneasy. 'I'm only gonna say this once. You can underestimate them zombies out there all you want.'

'They're called infected,' Malcolm offered but Bill spoke over him, causing him to flinch.

'If you don't take every single God damn precaution then you will end up dead.' A chilly ocean breeze blew by, taking with it a few scattered leaves that lay on the ground. Bill and Malcolm remained locked in their gaze for a moment before Bill blocked it off by looking at Rex, who pulled his gun on him again. Madison pushed it down for him once more. 'And you,' Bill said to Rex, 'if you point your gun at everything you see you'll also end up dead. Look before you shoot!'

'Are you done?' Madison asked. 'My men were briefed on the infected, you know. We are aware of what to do with each specific type.'

'Good,' Bill looked back to Madison. 'Then you should also be aware of how they operate.'

'We are,' Madison told him.

'Really?' Bill sneered. 'Because you just suggested to me that we go down that secluded path with clear danger on each side of the road. There are plenty of places for those bastards to hide. If we want to go down that way we should use a vehicle or something because even if we don't get picked off one by one we'll end up getting mobbed by a whole bunch of them!'

'Do you remember what you said to me back on the sub?' Madison asked. 'You said that I was in charge. Do you remember that?'

'Yeah,' Bill acknowledged begrudgingly.

'Well then let me do my job,' she said. Madison sighed and folded her arms. 'Trust me.' Bill looked at Madison; his face clearly conveyed the feelings he had toward her and they were not of trust. Sensing Bill's unrest, Madison decided to push him. 'Trust me or I'll put you back on the submarine. You'll spend the rest of the mission with Miguel.' Miguel, who was listening in on the conversation in the Tactics Room onboard the HMS Jaeger had a look of horror wash over his face.

'Fine,' he heard Bill say through the radio. He sounded irritated. 'We'll do it your way, then.' Miguel breathed a sigh of relief and looked up, thanking God. Back outside, Bill walked past Madison in the direction that she wanted to go. 'I'll tell you this, though,' he said without looking back. 'If we get attacked then it's your own fault.' Madison sighed, looking critically at him.

'Let's move out, people,' she spoke up, making the others move on away from the beach. As everyone moved on ahead of her, Madison spoke into her earpiece. 'He's going to be a problem.'

'Yes,' Miguel agreed. 'He certainly is.'

'Well what should I do?' Madison asked him. Miguel thought for a moment, sitting back in his chair with his hand to his chin. 'That's twice he's done this now, first onboard the sub and now here. He'll be slowing us down if he can't handle me being in charge.'

'And it's not as if asserting your authority is doing much, either,' Miguel added, continuing to think. 'Just keep going until you reach your first waypoint and then we'll review. We can't have this mission going pear shaped before it has even begun.'

'Roger that,' Madison sighed, breaking into a gentle jog to catch up to the others who were a little ahead of her. As Miguel sat over the large table display in the Tactics Room, he suddenly had a thought. Sitting up in his chair he tapped the icon on the screen that represented Bill, causing picture of him to pop up over the icon, accompanied by some text that told some information about him. Miguel put the fingers of his right hand together and placed them on the picture of Bill before opening them out. Most of the screen around him converted to a real-time map image of mission progress to a status screen devoted to Bill. Miguel started reviewing everything there was to know about Bill.

Inside the Midnight Riders tour bus a meeting was underway. It was a meeting of great importance and every member of Coach's rogues was in attendance. To the back of the bus at the seating area were Drake and Teek who were sat close together in the middle. While Teek was not a member of Coach's group, he was forced to stay there while they figured out their plan. As he sat in the middle, he felt as if he was being probed with questions and glances. On his other side was Danielle, who sat with her legs folded together. Further around on the table were Nick and Ellis, who had managed to reclaim his dignity by pulling on a fresh pair of clothes. On the very end sat Coach's second in command, Norah. Coach was stood up next to Rochelle who was also on her feet in front of them all. He was leaning against the wall as she spoke.

'Henry James is close with Thomas Galt,' Rochelle explained to them. 'So close in fact that people in our Clan are talking about him being promoted to Thomas' second in command.' Rochelle looked around the room. 'Naturally I don't want that to happen.'

'Of course you don't,' Nick spoke up. 'You want to betray him so you can take his job, am I right?' Rochelle took a moment suppress what she really wanted to say to him as a response.

'No,' was her answer. 'Thomas Galt is a powerful and dangerous man but Henry James is far worse.'

'Well he did shoot you,' Norah gestured to Rochelle and then to Coach, 'and you for no reason.'

'That was a misunderstanding,' Coach told her.

'It was him trying to be tough,' Rochelle corrected him. 'Henry wants nothing more than to take over Thomas' role in the Clan. He dreams of becoming as powerful as he is but he doesn't have the skill to take charge. Thomas knows that, everyone else knows that and so it is ensured that Henry keeps a respectable distance from him at all times to prevent him doing anything stupid.'

'How do you know all of this?' Nick interrupted her once more. 'Keep jumping camps like you did before.' Rochelle resented his comment and gave him a look to ensure that he knew how she felt.

'No,' was her answer once again. 'I just keep my ear to the ground and listen out for these things. If Henry James did take over Thomas Galt then there would be a massive Clan of thousands of people suddenly thrown into turmoil. That Clan is far too big and far too important to be broken up by a miniature coup; they do a lot to influence the entire region. The amount of trading they do is on its own a reason to keep the status quo. Without them numerous Havens like this one won't get their supplies. Other traders won't be able to pass them on, protected areas would not exist and then everyone will suffer. If you do this deal with Henry, he will keep the supplies for himself. Thomas does not keep track of everything that he does. He will use the gasoline you've collected to buy more weapons or support to continue equipping his already sizeable army in preparation of knocking Thomas off his throne and taking over.' Rochelle paused for a moment, allowing what she was saying to sink in. 'If you do this deal with Henry James you'll not only be endangering yourselves but countless others as well.'

'So that's why you're being so uncharacteristically kind and doing this!' Nick announced sarcastically. 'You're not doing it for some selfish personal gain; you want to help the children.'

'Okay what's your problem?' Rochelle raised her voice angrily.

'I don't have a problem,' Nick continued to be scorning. 'I mean why should I have a problem? It's not as if you used all of us, pulled a gun on me because of your secret organisation you really worked for and then ran off to join someone who tried to kill us all. Oh, wait...'

'Nick,' Coach spoke with a warning tone. 'You're not helping.'

'Oh, I'm sorry,' Nick exclaimed. 'I can't really see how trusting her after what she's done can be helpful, though.'

'Take a walk,' Coach ordered. Nick looked at him, exasperated. 'Take a walk!' Coach yelled, slamming his fist against the wall. Norah was startled by his sudden outburst. Nick let out an angry sigh and climbed over the table and walked past Rochelle, deliberately nudging her out of the way as he went past. Rochelle did not move as he left, her look of distaste remaining for a while. Ellis got up and excused himself, going to check on Nick. Coach allowed him to leave and there was a tense, awkward moment of silence as everyone waited for someone else to speak. 'If anyone else has a problem with Rochelle then you can go and give Nick and Ellis some company.' Nobody moved. Coach looked to Teek and asked him a question. 'You've met more people than we all have during your travels so you must have picked something up. Is what Rochelle is saying true?'

'Hey you know the deal,' Teek protested. 'I can't go telling people messages that aren't intended for them. I'd lose my reputation.'

'We could lose our lives,' Coach glared at him. 'The balance of power in the region could shift drastically. How successful do you think your messaging business will be when your clients can't trust their own friends due to a civil war?'

'Don't put me in this position,' Teek pleaded. Coach slammed his hands on the table, causing Norah to recoil in shock once more.

'Just tell me, God damn it!' Teek reached out under the table and grabbed the hand of the person next to him. He squeezed Drake's hand for comfort as Coach yelled at him. 'Stop being a stupid kid and just tell me what I want to know.'

'Hey, Coach,' Drake spoke up. 'Back off!' Coach looked over at Drake angrily. 'If he can't tell you, he can't tell you. You should respect that.'

'Listen,' Rochelle interjected. 'I can understand you're hesitation to believe me.' Coach looked around at her. 'I hooked up with Henry because I believed that he was up to no good. Now that I'm sure of it I want to stop it. I don't want to drag you guys into my business like I did back in New Orleans. I just want you to not do the deal with him.'

'Rochelle I have no choice,' Coach told her, opening up to her completely. 'We can't keep living out here like this. We've hardly got enough food to keep us going, gathering supplies is becoming more and more dangerous as the Clans keep expanding and the zombies keep getting stronger and its only a matter of time before one of us slips up and we die.' He paused for a moment, attempting to hold back emotion. 'For Christ's sake, I can't be responsible for any more deaths!' Coach regained his composure and looked around, noticing everyone looking at him. He took a breath. 'We're going through with the deal.' He moved past Rochelle and went into his one of the dressing rooms, leaving everyone sat there in silence.

Outside Nick was storming away from the bus angrily. Seeing Rochelle again made him furious. He trusted her completely, he had feelings for her in the past that he had never had for anyone else before and then she betrayed him, just like his father had done. Walking through the dark Haven he brushed past people who were on their way to their various destinations and market stalls, not paying any attention to where he was going.

At night, Havens did not quiet down like most places did before the infection. For the survivors, every evening was a chance to celebrate staying alive and most Havens had parties in honour of this each night. While some parties were gentle and intimate, others were boisterous and grand. As this Haven on the disused airfield was rather small, so was the party. The party was toned down, a few people sat around a campfire dancing, drinking and having what fun they could. Nick went through the party and approached the merchant selling alcohol.

'Give me something strong,' was Nick's request as he placed a silver watch in the merchant's hands. As currency no longer had the value it had before the infection, people traded what they could for what they wanted. Nick certainly got what he wanted; a large bottle of strong whisky. He walked away from the man and the party, opening the bottle and swallowing a generous mouthful. As he surpassed the burning aftertaste, he took another mouthful.

'You oughta' be careful with that,' Ellis advised, having suddenly appeared at Nick's side. 'A guy your size can't handle all that buy himself.'

'Is that your way of asking for some?' Nick asked. Ellis chuckled and held out his hand, taking the bottle from Nick and swallowing a mouthful.

'You alright?' Ellis asked, handing the bottle back to his friend. 'Back there you seemed a little crazy.' Nick snorted a laugh, shaking his head as he drank from the bottle. 'You're not one for lettin' go, are you?'

'My dad betrayed me,' Nick told Ellis, looking at him implicitly. 'Back before, he just left me so that he could go off and do his evil thing for the Director. Rochelle did the same. I trusted her; I liked her, I...' Nick paused for a moment, forcing himself to not say what he almost did. Deciding it was the whisky talking for him, he handed Ellis the bottle. 'The point is despite how close we were she still betrayed me and you and Coach and Norah. I found it hard being with her when we got back from the ship, I found it hard working together again and I found it really hard when she just left us without saying a single word! So excuse me for finding things difficult. I told you what I was like before. I didn't trust anyone until I gradually changed thanks to her. With the way she's carrying herself I don't know what to believe.'

'Why don't you talk about it with her?' Ellis suggested. Nick chuckled, shaking his head.

'That's what I like about you, kid,' Nick told him, his tone suddenly more calm. 'You're so God damn naive.' Ellis sighed and took a swig of Nick's whisky. As they walked they had been weaving in between the market stalls. After a moment they found themselves back at the modest party. Ellis and Nick sat down on a bench that was formally a refrigerator to continue talking. 'No, I can't talk to her. If I do I may hit her in the face.'

'Ain't Rochelle some sort of kung-fu ninja assassin?' Ellis joked. Before putting the bottle to his lips once more he said 'can't imagine that workin' out too well for you.' Nick chuckled and took back the bottle after Ellis finished. 'You know what I reckon your problem is? You don't know how to let go.'

'Well that's obvious,' Nick scoffed.

'You know what I mean,' Ellis sat back. 'You're using this anger to Ro and your dad as an excuse to stay mad and cynical.'

'Don't I have a right to be mad?' Nick asked rhetorically, having another drink. 'I mean come on, my dad killed my mom before taking me under his wing only to just abandon me, leaving me at the mercy of Rochelle who led me to believe that I could have serious feelings for someone only to be let down by her.'

'You want to stay angry,' Ellis told him. 'You wanna keep being mad. That way you won't ever get hurt again.'

As Nick heard Ellis' words he knew them to be true. He did not want to let go of his anger; it protected him. He had suffered many setbacks over his life, many instances where his trust in people was shattered by those he cared the most about. When he was young, his mother left him and his father. His father then left him and when Nick had found him again, his father told him that his mother did not walk out, he had murdered her instead. After his father then tried to kill him, Rochelle then broke his heart. She threatened him with a gun after all the time they had spent together, after all of the laughs they had shared and the times they had helped each other out. All of the moments they had together were shattered when she revealed that she had ulterior motives. Nick had started to become less cynical the more he had been with Rochelle. Despite her true intentions she had changed him for the better. When she was around, Nick was a better person. However, Nick did not want to risk being hurt again. He felt weak deep down, unable to handle one more heartbreak or another betrayal. He did not want live in fear of that happening again.

Ellis took the hand Nick's bottle was in and made him hold it out.

'The booze in there represents your anger,' Ellis told him. 'Once you let go, it'll all come out and you'll feel better for it.' While Nick's arm was growing tired held out in the air and dropping the bottle would certainly ease the burden, he found Ellis' attempts to try and make him a better person stupid. He pulled his hand back but Ellis forced it back out. 'You can let go when you've let go of your anger.'

'This is so stupid,' Nick protested. 'I paid for this!'

'You can buy more whisky,' Ellis told him. Nick rolled his eyes.

'You don't know if this will even work,' he muttered.

'Then why don't you try it?'

'Because I don't want to,' Nick responded.

'Why not?'

'Because I don't want to get hurt again,' Nick's face had a look of turmoil on it.

'Who says you will?'

'Who says I won't?'

'Wouldn't it be better to get hurt again rather than stay angry?' Ellis suggested. Nick looked at the bottle, his hand trembled slightly. He paused for a moment.

'I loved her, you know,' he told Ellis, his eyes filling with tears. 'I loved her and she just...' Nick closed his eyes, making a few tears fall down his face. 'It was probably better this way. I'm not good in relationships.' Ellis sat there, allowing Nick to talk. 'I mean I wouldn't notice when she'd get her hair done, I'd forger her birthdays and anniversaries... Her friends would hate me and her parents would like me less... I'd be really rude all the time, rude and angry.'

'Not anymore,' Ellis told him. Nick stared at the bottle he held in front of his face. With a relieved sigh he tilted the bottle to the ground, allowing the whisky to pour freely out it. When the bottle was completely drained he let it fall from his hand, sighing and lowering his arm. Ellis patted Nick on the shoulder supportively. 'Let's go,' he suggested. Ellis and Nick stood up and walked away from the small party together, Nick feeling much lighter after dropping his emotional baggage. He put his arm around Ellis' neck and playfully hugged him as they went back toward the bus.

Toward the front of the Midnight Riders tour bus, Norah and Danielle were having a hushed discussion about Coach. It was a conversation they found themselves having more and more frequently. In the back of the bus were Drake and Teek, who were talking by themselves.

'He's getting worse,' Danielle said to Norah, who was sat in the driver's seat. 'He's heading in the right direction for a nervous breakdown. I treated many people with symptoms like his and they're mostly caused by severe stress.'

'Well we're all stressed,' Norah told her. 'It's not as if you can write him a doctor's note and have him excused from this hellhole until he gets better.'

'No,' Danielle agreed. 'However he can step aside from being our leader.' Danielle was quick to justify herself before Norah made any protest. 'He was the self-appointed leader of you lot, wasn't he? He thought he could handle it but it's been a year and the pressure is finally getting to him.'

'I don't like that,' Norah spoke honestly.

'It's the truth,' Danielle said. 'Now you would make a natural choice for being the leader; you were the Secretary of Homeland Security for Christ's sake.' Norah thought about what Danielle was saying for a moment. 'Just think; you could push Coach aside and then you could make the decisions around here. You could act rationally, more so than he ever could.' Norah decided what she would do and gave Danielle a knowing look. She leant forward to whisper something into her ear. 'What's the plan?' she asked.

'There is no plan,' Norah whispered. 'You're going to stop talking like this right now.' Danielle had a confused look on her face. 'If I hear you talking like this again then I will throw you off this bus myself, are we clear?' Norah moved away from Danielle and looked at her, waiting for some sign that she understood how serious she was. Danielle started to nod. Norah smiled. 'Good.'

To the back of the bus, Teek was sat with his arms tucked around his legs. He was still quite shaken after the way Coach had spoken to him.

'You alright?' Drake asked him. Teek put on a smile and nodded.

'I'm cool,' he sighed, his voice sounded shaky. Drake moved closer to him supportively.

'You know I think it's really cool how you stood your ground,' he tried to cheer him up. 'It takes guts to stand up for yourself and what you do.'

'Thanks,' Teek blushed slightly. 'Oh and sorry about the whole...' he paused and gestured with his hand. 'You know,' he muttered, rolling his hand in the air. 'The whole hand thing.'

'Oh right,' Drake chuckled. 'Yeah, it's cool.' He smiled a warm smile at Teek. 'Don't worry about it.'

Just outside Rochelle was slowly pacing up and down by the door to the bus. Her arms were folded, her head was lowered and her pace was slow. She was waiting for Nick to arrive back, although she did not really understand why. She was fairly sure that no matter what she said to him, he would never forgive her but she still had to try. The time she spent alone had allowed her to formulate arguments in her head; things to say to Nick as an apology. As she looked up and saw him and Ellis approaching the bus all of the arguments went out of her head.

'Nick,' she greeted him, separating her arms. 'Look...'

'It's okay,' Nick interrupted her. Rochelle, taken back slightly, looked at him in silence. 'It might take some time but... its okay.' Without another word, Nick stepped inside the tour bus. Ellis smiled warmly at Rochelle as he followed him and as she stood out there on her own, Rochelle breathed a sigh of relief. She was not quite sure of what she had done to adjust Nick's feelings toward her but whatever it was, she knew that it had been done well.

The road Madison's team were walking on appeared to be getting longer and darker the further they travelled. As she led the way; slight noises in the surrounding forest startled Rex, who nervously aimed his weapon in the direction of the sound as Malcolm tried to calm him down. Slight imperfections in the road caused Zoey to stumble, allowing Louis to act like a perfect gentleman and help her maintain her balance. Various landmarks that passed by were commented on by Francis, who informed everyone of how much he disliked the particular object in question. Bill, meanwhile, was lagging behind ever so slightly, not wanting to be near the woman in charge.

'Coming down here doesn't seem so stupid now does it, Bill?' Madison asked him. She did not really care for a response; she just wanted to break the quiet with conversation.

'You know what does seem stupid?' Bill responded, not giving Madison a chance to even think of answering. 'The fact that you guys can't airlift a jeep or something for us to travel in. How are we supposed to find these guys on foot?'

'With skill, determination and a little bit of luck,' Madison told him. Bill snorted at her, chuckling to himself. Madison looked around at him as they kept walking. 'Is there a problem?'

'You're a soldier,' Bill muttered. 'For Christ's sake; act like one.'

'I beg your pardon?'

'Well back in my day we never relied on luck when we were out on the front lines!'

'Don't say "back in my day", Bill,' Francis advised. 'It'll make you seem old.'

'They hell I won't!' Bill protested. 'I'll say whatever the hell I like. I may be old but I'm more experienced than you three so called soldiers put together!' Madison sighed as Bill finished speaking.

'I really don't get you, William,' she said softly.

'It's Bill,' he corrected her.

'I mean you served your country well; with honour, discipline and loyalty. You were graceful when you were discharged on medical grounds.' Madison looked back at him again. 'You were the perfect soldier until the war ended. Then you couldn't do what you wanted to anymore and I guess that made you miserable.' She looked back ahead at where she was going. 'What I'm saying is I can understand how you're feeling. After everything you went through you were ignored, left to do normal things that you just couldn't do. Then this infection came up and you finally had a reason to get up in the morning and be a soldier again. Now you feel like I'm raining on your parade somewhat, am I right?' Bill did not answer her. Madison took that as a yes. 'Well, Bill, no you are a soldier again.' She looked back at him. 'Act like one.'

Bill did not have time to reply before the inhumane cry of a Spitter interrupted the conversation. Everyone stopped moving and looked around, shining their lights at the tree line. It was difficult to see through the thick trunks of the trees and the wind suddenly started to blow by making it difficult to hear it moving. Rex held his weapon tight as he looked through the sights for the Spitter. As he turned on the spot, something came into a view. He lowered his gun for a moment as he saw what appeared to be a pregnant woman standing in the middle of the road.

Just as Rex went to shoot, the Spitter lived up to its name and Rex was hit by a shot of highly acidic saliva. As he fell down, screaming in pain, the others looked around and saw the infected. Madison was the first to shoot it dead.

'Commander,' she spoke to the radio, 'Rex has been hit.' Madison knelt over Rex. The acid had hit him in the left arm and shoulder. It had already dissolved his armour. As she attempted to get him to take off his damaged garments, Rex suddenly roared in pain as the acid began to dissolve through his skin. 'Malcolm, get me some water.' Malcolm did what he was told and poured his canteen of water into Rex's wound. Taking out a knife, Madison cut the lower portion of the leg of her combat trousers and used the fabric to push the acid out of the wound. As it fell to the ground everyone saw the extent of the damage. The bone in Rex's arm was clearly visible. Madison looked to Malcolm again. 'Bandages,' she requested. As everyone gathered around Rex while he was being treated, Bill had his back to him, looking around the area. The breeze had died down and yet he could still hear in the distance the sound of rustling leaves. He gripped his gun tight.

'Guys,' he told them without looking around. 'We need to go.'

'Not right now, Bill!' Zoey told him.

'No you don't understand,' Bill looked around at her. 'We need to go right now.' Zoey saw the look in Bill's eyes and it instantly terrified her. He was scared.

'Guys,' Miguel spoke into their radios, looking down at his display. 'I'm monitoring the thermal imaging and...' On his display what appeared to be large red clouds were approaching the icons that indicated Bill and the others at an alarming speed. 'You've got infected incoming.'

'God damn it,' Madison cursed. She looked at Francis. 'You look the strongest; you'll be Rex's mule.' Francis bent down and lifted him, putting Rex's arm over his own shoulder to support his weight.

'You okay, buddy?' Francis asked. 'Let's get you out of here.'

'Alright everyone let's move out!' Madison ordered.

With that, everyone broke into a run down the dark road that was surrounded on each side by dense trees. It was not long before infected started emerging from the edges. Everyone fired at them as they continued to run but as the road appeared to have no visible end in sight it was apparent that they could not outrun them.

'Group up!' Madison cried. 'Stay together and hold positions.' Everyone stopped running and huddled back to back. They continued shooting at the infected that kept running forward to try and swamp them. Miguel could only listen to what was happening inside the Tactics Room. He buried his face in his hands, not noticing a smaller red cloud approaching his team from quite a far distance at quite a fast speed.

'Reloading,' Zoey announced as she ejected her empty magazine and replaced it. As she loaded her weapon a Smoker's tongue wrapped around her body and pulled her away.

'No!' Louis cried, running after her.

'Stay together, God damn it!' Madison yelled. Louis fired bullets over Zoey as she was being dragged toward the dark trees and soon she was no longer being dragged. He moved over to her to help her up but as he did a Jockey grabbed onto his body, making him stagger away from her. Zoey got up and went to shoot the infected on Louis' back but it made him turn to face her, causing Zoey to hesitate. Infected began swarming around her and she beat them away with the body of her gun before shooting at them. She looked at Louis and saw that he was being pulled toward the trees. She did everything that she could but Zoey was unable to get to him. He was close to becoming lost in the darkness.

Just as things looked grim for Louis, a flash of light went by. A glowing object shot over them and went into a nearby tree. The following explosion knocked the infected off their feet and caused Madison and her team to stumble. Louis fell off his feet and the Jockey's grip was broken. The infected jumped away from him, looking for a new target. The Jockey found it as coming down the road fast was a large pickup truck. The Jockey ran to it but was crushed under the tyres. The driver stopped the vehicle next to Madison's huddle in the middle of the road while Zoey ran to Louis to help him up. The passenger of the vehicle stepped out and dropped a disposable RPG launcher to the ground. It was a woman in her thirties with black hair and numerous scrapes on her face. The driver of the truck was a bald man of the same age who looked very impatient.

'Come with us,' the woman told them. Not in a position to argue, Madison ordered everyone to get onto the truck. After everyone got on, the driver sped away from the area with more infected still emerging from the woods. As they drove on, Bill leant over to Madison and whispered something in her ear.

'I told you we shouldn't have come this way.' He leant back, leaving Madison to stare ahead, holding onto Rex's hand comfortingly.

The day was new and possibly one of the most important ones of Coach's life. Despite Rochelle's firm recommendations he was still going through with the deal. His desire to keep everyone that he looked after safe was all the motivation he needed to meet with Henry James again. Ellis had driven away from the Haven and toward the meeting area, which was in a small deserted town just by a large forest. Parking not too far away from the town in the forest, Coach told everyone to stay put while he and Rochelle went to make the deal. They each armed themselves defensively, protected themselves with armour padding reasonably and tied a can of gasoline to their backs to act as proof that they had what Henry wanted. Using Teek's motorbike, Coach and Rochelle drove the rest of the journey by themselves, with Rochelle in the front. The rest of the Midnight Riders sat in the bus nervously waiting for their return.

The town where the meeting was taking place was small, consisting of one long road with dilapidated buildings standing bleakly on each side. Parking the bike in the middle of the road in the dead centre of the town, Coach and Rochelle stepped off and prepared themselves.

'Are you sure about this?' Rochelle asked as she untied the gasoline from her back.

'Of course I'm not,' Coach answered truthfully, struggling to take off his own canister. 'But I have to give it a try.'

'Well I don't like it,' Rochelle sighed, helping him with the knots. 'I just know something bad will happen I just know it.'

'Well if we do end up dead then you can say "I told you so".'

'Oh great,' Rochelle pulled the can from Coach's back. 'I'll look forward to that.' He chuckled at her sarcasm.

'Thanks,' he told her. Placing the two canisters a little distance ahead of them, Coach and Rochelle waited for Henry to arrive.

A brief moment of silence passed. Coach looked to Rochelle and tapped her arm warmly.

'It's good to see you again,' he told her.

'Yeah?' Rochelle smiled at him. 'It's good to see you, too.' There was a pause. 'I like the new guy you've got. What's his name? Drake?'

'Yeah he's a good kid,' Coach nodded. 'We ran into him a couple of months back. He'd been crushed by a Charger and just left to die on the side of the road. Danielle begged me to let him stay.'

'She loves looking after her patients,' Rochelle chuckled.

'When you left she was pissed off that she couldn't give you any follow up exams for your gunshot wound!' Coach and Rochelle shared a laugh that died down quickly. There was then another silence before Rochelle looked to Coach sincerely.

'I'm sorry for leaving,' she said to him. 'I just felt like I needed to do this.'

'It's okay,' Coach waved his hand. 'Don't worry about it. It wasn't the same without you but we managed.'

'That's good...' she sighed. 'Although I do wonder what you mean when you say it wasn't the same because some people couldn't wait to see me go.' Coach knew she was talking about Nick but did not say anything about him.

'It wasn't like that,' he said instead. 'Really.'

'You don't have to spare my feelings,' Rochelle told him. 'When we've done this deal with Henry then I'll go back with him.'

'That's cool,' Coach sighed, looking ahead at the canisters of gasoline. 'When we've done this deal we may all be travelling together.'

'Why are you doing this, Coach?' Rochelle asked, looking closely at him. 'I mean really, why are you doing this? You say you want to keep everyone safe but you seem to be doing a good job. You were when I last saw you.'

'When you left I realised something,' Coach explained. 'We all work together so well, especially you, me, Nick and Ellis. I can lead while Ellis is a kickass driver and mechanic. Nick is a good shooter while you are good with weapons and hand to hand combat. We all work well together and the same can be said with Norah and the others.' Coach took a breath. 'Now when you left I realised that if one of us were to die or something then everyone else would suffer greatly. We'd all fall apart because we're all each one piece in a very fragile machine that could break at any moment. If we're small pieces in a larger machine, like the one Thomas Galt is running, then we can be more secure and much more safe.'

'It sounds to me like you're giving up,' Rochelle spoke honestly. Coach was surprised at her comment and made his feelings clear.

'Well I'm not,' he told her. Rochelle leant in close to him.

'Are you sure?'

'Yes,' he insisted. Rochelle gave him a knowing look, blinked once and then sat back.

'Okay,' she sighed. Coach tried to respond but something in the distance caught his eye. A large jeep was headed toward them. 'Here he is,' Rochelle observed as the vehicle carrying Henry James stopped in front of the canisters of gasoline, roughly the same distance away from them as Coach and Rochelle were from them. Henry James stepped out of the jeep. He was a thin man with a serious face. Three guards also stepped out of the jeep, standing around him protectively. With both parties separated by the gasoline the negotiations began.

'Henry,' Coach greeted.

'Coach,' Henry reciprocated. There was a moment of silence. 'I have to tell you I was surprised to hear that you wanted to meet again. I would have thought our last meeting would have left you...' He looked Coach up and down. 'Riddled with doubt.'

'Well if Ro can trust you then so can I,' Coach responded and Rochelle shuffled nervously on the spot when he spoke her name. Henry looked over to her, a mocking look on his face.

'Ro?' he asked, chuckling. 'Is that what he calls you? You two must be close.'

'It's a nickname from before,' Rochelle explained.

'From before?' Henry questioned. 'Before when?'

'Before now,' said Rochelle. Henry's eyes narrowed with a clear look of amusement in them.

'So before you joined me?' Henry spoke rhetorically. 'Okay, okay...'

'Coach has what you want,' Rochelle attempted to move the conversation along. 'He's got more than enough and he's willing to offer it to you.'

'He thinks that amount of gasoline is worth the price of admission into my little Clan?' Henry asked. 'I'm sorry but taking on six people or more is a huge undertaking that we can't really afford.'

'We work hard,' Coach pleaded. 'We're good people and we'll do anything you ask. We just need a place; a community to call home.'

'That's very touching,' Henry spoke with no emotion. 'Truly it is but you see, I just don't see how I can trust you.' He shifted his gaze from Coach over to Rochelle.

'What do you mean?' she asked.

'Well you abandoned them and came to me,' Henry pointed out. 'Now you've brought them back to potential danger. I don't know, "Ro", you seem like someone who isn't really looking out for what's best for the team.

'I am,' Rochelle insisted.

'Well the fact of the matter is I can't take all of you,' Henry said to Coach. 'Most of you, but not all of you.'

'What do you mean?' Coach asked.

'I think if we eliminated someone from the equation we'd be able to do business.'

'I'm not leaving any of my people behind,' Coach told him flatly.

'Not to worry,' Henry shrugged, taking out his gun. 'I'll get rid of one of my own.' He pointed his gun at Rochelle and before she had time to react, pulled the trigger. Rochelle fell back following the sickening sound of the bullet hitting her and collapsed flat on her back. Coach looked down at her, stunned before looking back to Henry who had his gun pointed at him. 'Now then,' he spoke menacingly.

'Do we have a deal?'


	3. Midnight Part Three

_**The Midnight Riders**_

Chapter One – Midnight Part Three

Lieutenant Commander Miguel Doyle was a man who liked things to be a certain way. He preferred the temperature onboard the HMS Jaeger to be just below sixteen degrees, he liked the lighting to be just that little bit extra bright and he liked the Tactics Room to be as quiet and as orderly as possible. It would be safe to assume that Miguel Doyle was somewhat of a control freak, which is why he was finding the current situation with Madison's team to be painfully unbearable.

Miguel stared at the table display, watching uneasily as he saw his crew moving through their area at quite a high speed. Somebody out of the darkness had rescued them from the infected that had them overwhelmed and he did not like it. While he appreciated the fact that they were all still alive, he could not handle the prospect of some unknown party suddenly taking over the situation as quickly as they had just done. Miguel tapped his fingers on the side of the table nervously, his leg shaking and forehead perspiring. Feeling completely useless, Miguel stood up from the chair and moved over to one of the consoles that lined the walls. He pushed a few buttons and a monitor displayed the temperature that was exactly sixteen degrees. Miguel lowered it by a single degree and breathed a sigh of relief. While it was apparent that Lieutenant Commander Miguel Doyle disliked the current situation as he was unable to control it, it was also apparent that after many years of living like this, he knew how to cope.

Meanwhile it was clear that Madison Robinson was finding it difficult to cope with the fact that she had made such a grave error in judgement, the severe wound on Rex's arm being a trophy for her mistake. She felt guilty as she led her team into danger despite Bill's insistent warnings. As she and the others sat perched on the back of their saviours' pickup truck, she quietly vowed to herself not to let anything like this happen again.

The truck emerged from the secluded forest path and went through a comparatively open area. With the combined light coming from the moon and the truck's headlights, it appeared that in the distance were large mountains, which Miguel identified as the Blue Ridge Mountains to the team. They were headed for these mountains. Not too long after they had left the forest path they were ascending a driveable slope up the densely forested mountains. It took a short while before they reached their destination, a small cabin that was built in between two large oak trees. Looking up at the sky, all that could be seen were the leaves of the enormous oak-hickory trees that comprised of most of the mountain's forests.

'A dark, remote cabin in the middle of the woods,' Zoey remarked. 'I know how this movie ends.' The cabin appeared to have two floors and was constructed with thick wood and a stone chimney. There were a few small windows on the ground floor but none on the second floor from what anyone could see. The woman passenger with the dark hair and multiple facial scars jumped out of the trunk as soon as it came to a halt outside the cabin. She hurried her way to the cabin door as the bald driver got out of the vehicle and leisurely followed her, making no effort to help Malcolm or Francis assist the wounded Rex. After a short while, all of Madison's team made their way into the cabin, securely closing the door behind them. There came a loud click from the lock and they were all sealed inside making it unlikely for any stray common infected to break through the doors, uninvited.

It was also equally unlikely for anyone to leave unattended.

Inside the cabin was hardly warm and welcoming. The main area everyone had walked through when they entered had a stone floor, requiring a step up onto the wooden beams. To the left was a fireplace that looked as though it had not been used for quite some time surrounded by two double seated sofas, which looked far from comfortable. Further ahead beyond the fireplace was a kitchen area and to the right of that near the lounge was a large table with four dining chairs surrounding it. The table appeared to be old and well used with many large dents, scratches and discoloured patches visible on the wood. A walkway took people to another small lounge area that was more homely; with armchairs, oil lamps and bookshelves decorating the room. There was also an abundant amount of ammunition stored in the room along with numerous different types of weapons. In the main area a set of stairs went up to the second floor where there were two bedrooms.

Malcolm and Francis kicked away the chairs and rested Rex on the large table. As they let him go he curled into a ball, crying in pain. Bill examined his wound and despite the dark light could clearly see the exposed bone in his arm.

'We need to disinfect this,' he spoke to the entire room. Zoey placed her bag of equipment next to Rex on the table and retrieved a first-aid kit. She opened it up and pulled out a bottle of disinfectant, sighing as she looked at it.

'This is going to hurt,' she whispered softly to him, placing a wooden splint that she pulled from her medical kit in his mouth. As she ordered him to bite hard, Louis questioned Francis on something.

'If the Spitter spits out acid,' he queried, 'do we need to disinfect it? Wouldn't the acid have already done that?'

'The acid just burnt a hole through his skin and bone,' Francis told him. 'It needs to be disinfected.' Rex let out an excruciating scream as Zoey disinfected his wounds, the liquid searing his open flesh and raw wounds as horrifically as the acid that had caused them. Malcolm covered Rex's mouth with his hand and held onto him tight, closing his eyes and wishing that the screaming would stop. It lasted for what felt like ages until Rex passed out from the pain. The couple that had rescued them allowed him to rest on one of the beds upstairs while everyone took turns watching him.

A few hours had passed since the arrival to the cabin. Madison was sat upstairs with Rex, her face buried in her hands. She sat in an uncomfortable chair that was placed next to the uncomfortable bed in the cramped, bare room and had been there since they had arrived. She was thinking of a plan, what to do next. With one of her team already wounded it seemed that their mission could well be over before it had even begun. There came a knock at the door and Bill let himself inside, opening the creaky door slowly as to not disturb Rex. Madison lifted her head promptly as Bill entered, composing herself before he saw her. Even though there were no physical signs, Bill could tell that she was having a difficult time. Bill, without saying a word, sat down on the bed by Rex's feet, opposite Madison. The two exchanged glances, Madison's being one of apology. Bill's look was ambiguous; one of sadness and yet one of reminiscing.

'I was in the army,' he spoke softly to Madison, making sure he would not wake Rex. He tilted his green beret at her. 'Vietnam, but you knew that anyway. You know everything about me and Zoey and the others all thanks to Doyle's little computer. Well what that computer won't tell you is that I know how you're feeling right now.' Madison's face turned from overwhelming guilt and sadness to slight intrigue. 'I was the rank of Corporal when I was discharged,' Bill continued. 'I got the whole left side of me blasted away by a grenade.' He sighed and rubbed his left knee gently.

'Fighting was the only thing I was really ever good at,' he continued to explain. 'I was always getting into fights when I was a kid so I joined the army when I was young. It seemed like the right thing to do as my options were either join the forces or become a criminal. I figured I may as well get paid to be violent.' Madison looked away from Bill with slight disgust as he spoke. 'I was on my second tour when Charlie had ambushed our camp. I looked around as I saw men; good men that I knew well just fall over dead while gunshots and explosions were everywhere. I didn't really care, though because I still had my gun and I was still able to shoot it. Anyway long story short I was with a guy called Richard, a green guy on his first tour. He looked up to me and he and his buddies became my squad as we fought our way to the landing zone to get rescued. We had just got on the chopper when it was shot down and we got surrounded by them. Richard and I; we managed to fight all of them off together, working well as a team.' Bill sighed and took off his beret, running his fingers through his white hair.

'Then a grenade landed next to us and he tried to throw it back before it exploded. Needless to say it never left his hand.' Madison swallowed hard as she heard his story. 'I watched him die in front of me. I had watched countless guys die around me and it had not really affected me. Richard was the first and that was because he was my guy. He listened to me and I was the one who got him killed.' Madison looked silently at Bill.

'I guess what I'm saying is,' Bill decided to get to the point, 'The only decisions I've ever lived to regret were the ones that involved me hurting someone else on accident. If someone got hurt because of me I feel guilty and angry with myself; it consumes me.' Madison bowed her head. 'It was only until I thought to myself "there's no point in moping around" that I finally got over it.' Madison looked up at him, interested. 'I figured that I shouldn't let the people I hurt suffer so I learnt from my mistakes. I grew because of them and made sure that they wouldn't happen again.' Bill stood up and placed his hand on Madison's shoulder. 'I'll look after him. Go downstairs and lead your people.' Madison smiled at Bill and with a brief nod she got to her feet and left the room. Bill watched her disappear behind the door and then sat down in her chair, sighing.

Madison made her way down the stairs and looked around the cabin to get a sense of where everyone was. Francis and Malcolm were at the table, Louis and Zoey were sat by the unlit fire and the woman with black hair who was named Lucy approached Madison, waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.

'How is he?' Lucy asked. Madison sighed and brushed the hair from her face.

'He's not doing well,' she answered truthfully. 'There's no way an injury like that can heal out here.'

'I know,' Lucy nodded in understanding before speaking about her bald companion, Arthur. 'Art, when he was with the Clan, knew someone who got some of that acid on their leg. They cut it the whole thing off before it went all gangrene.'

'We can't do that,' Madison told her, stepping off the stairs. With a medical team standing by on the HMS Jaeger, dismembering one of her teammates on the field was simply out of the question. However, going back all that way would no doubt take a lot of time, time she did not possess. Also, she could not bring anyone from the land back to the submarine and if Madison were to announce that they had medical assistance then she would most likely be mobbed by Lucy, Arthur and any of their friends that were no doubt close by.

'Sweetie,' Lucy rested her hand on her arm. 'I know it hurts but this really is for the best, honest.'

'Well let's think about things before we do anything drastic,' Madison spoke with a tone of finality as she walked away from Lucy. She gave her a frightful look as she walked toward Malcolm and Francis. Lucy then glanced up the stairs and then toward the back area with the ammunition. She glanced back to make sure no one was looking at her and then stepped inside to join Arthur.

'They're not going to carve him up,' she told him.

'I heard,' Arthur nodded.

'So what do we do?' Lucy asked. 'We can't just let prizes like these guys just walk out of here.'

'I know,' Arthur nodded once more. 'They seem different; clean and fresh, wouldn't you say?'

'I figured that,' Lucy told him. 'What do you think it means?'

'I think it means we have some new kids on the block,' Arthur pulled out an extremely large and lethally sharp machete. 'Let's do what we can to show them how things work in this neighbourhood.' He then chuckled a menacing laugh that seemed to bleed out of the cabin and echo through the dark mountains.

As the bullet that crashed into Rochelle's chest left Henry's gun, he felt a strong and almost intoxicating sense of power. It was this feeling of power and control that had spent the majority of his new life pursuing. It was the reason why he had joined up with Thomas Galt's Clan and it was the source of his aggressive personality. It was also the motivation he had for shooting Rochelle as suddenly as he did. While he did not trust her, he wanted to show off to Coach that he was powerful and in control. Little did Henry know that as Rochelle twitched as she lay on the ground opposite the two gasoline cans, he would soon find that the tables would be turned on him and his men.

Rochelle sat up slightly, groaning in pain. Henry looked at her, shocked.

'God damn it,' she hissed, pulling open her shirt and revealing dark formfitting body armour underneath her clothes. 'Why did you have to do that?'

'I guess you were right,' Coach sighed, speaking in a light-hearted manner. 'This was a real bad idea.'

'I appreciate you saying so, Coach,' Rochelle acknowledged, getting to her feet.

'I said don't move!' Henry insisted.

'Actually you said squat,' Coach corrected him. Rochelle got to her feet and moved over to him. 'Now this is what's going to happen,' Coach continued, enjoying the look of Henry's poorly disguised anger. 'Since you've screwed us over I figure you owe us one. Now I'm not expecting you do something for nothing. I'll still honour our agreement and give you the gasoline but I will expect an introduction with your boss, Galt, and expect to be accepted into your ranks pretty sharpishly, do you hear what I'm saying?'

'That doesn't work for me,' Henry hissed. Coach's eyes narrowed as he saw Henry's armed men reach for their guns.

'Easy now,' Rochelle cautioned them.

'Here's what I'm thinking,' Henry spoke over her as his men aimed their weapons at them. 'I take your gas and I won't kill you all. How does that sound to you?' There was a moment of tense quiet. Coach and Rochelle exchanged knowing glances.

'Well we didn't come here to die,' he told Henry.

Coach took out his own gun as Rochelle ran for the motorcycle. Before anyone could act, he fired a few shots at the gasoline cans causing them to burst into flames.

The sudden blast of heat stunned Henry and his men, forcing them to recoil by stepping away from the flames and allowing Coach and Rochelle to hop onto Teek's motorcycle and get away. With Rochelle at the front and Coach holding on behind, they drove off into the forest. Henry watched them elude his clutches and spat at the ground.

'I've seen what you drive, Coach,' he muttered to himself. 'And if you're hiding out in that forest then there is only one place you can go.' He looked to his men and began barking orders. 'Assemble everyone and I mean everyone! We're going to lock them down. If he thinks he can outsmart me then he is horribly mistaken.' Henry grinned a looming glare into the fire in front of him. No matter what, he was determined to regain control of the situation.

As the noise of the motorcycle engine faded from Henry's ears into obscurity, Coach and Rochelle were having a clearly aggressive conversation as they were headed back to the bus.

'You just couldn't listen, could you?' Rochelle cried, driving incredibly fast.

'Watch it,' Coach warned her.

'I'm not one of your Rogues, Coach,' Rochelle retorted. 'You can't tell me what to do.'

'You used to be one of my Rogues,' Coach corrected her.

'I used to, yes but that was in the past! I wanted to try and help you and protect you, Coach, but you're nearsightedness has made sure that I can't do that.'

'What I did revealed that Henry doesn't think a lot of you,' Coach pointed out. 'And frankly, I can't really blame him. All I know is; you're a hell of a lot safer now.'

'Of course I'm safer!' Rochelle cried sarcastically. 'I am the safest girl alive! What could be safer than suddenly being abandoned by the people you're with and being forced to live on your own? How long do you think I can survive out here?'

'I think you'll do alright,' Coach commented, sounding as sarcastic as Rochelle did. 'You always were the kind of girl who liked to do her own thing. How's that secretive agency that you betrayed us for coming along by the way?' Rochelle launched her elbow back striking Coach in the face, a decision she soon regretted as Coach fell to one side, holding onto the bike and suddenly displacing the weight. As Rochelle began to lose control of the motorcycle, she steered heavily to the left in an attempt to compensate for Coach's weight. She managed to narrowly avoid crashing into a tree but then faced a large drop up ahead.

Meanwhile, Ellis, Drake, Danielle and Teek were stood outside the Midnight Riders tour bus.

'So do any of you know what "suck the heads" mean?' Ellis asked them.

'What does it mean?' asked Drake, sounding slightly dim.

'Don't tell him, Ellis!' Danielle ordered. 'He's far too young.'

'I'm eighteen!' Drake told her.

'Far too young,' Danielle repeated. Ellis was about to continue his explanation but was interrupted by the sound of two people crying out up ahead. Everyone looked up and saw Rochelle and Coach fly over on the bike, crash onto the roof of the bus and fall over the other side, both of them being thrown from the vehicle. The sudden impact of the motorcycle caused the bus' internal alarm to start blaring loudly.

'My bike!' Teek cried, running around the bus with the rest of the Midnight Riders, who were ignoring the alarm. In the distance, the screech of the horde could be heard as hundreds of infected began approaching their location.

'No, really,' Rochelle muttered to Teek as she got to her feet, rubbing her head. 'I'm fine.' Coach, with some effort, also managed to stand up. Teek moved past them and looked at his motorcycle. It had crashed headfirst into a large tree and was completely destroyed.

'You bastards, you ruined my bike!' Teek shouted.

'Well she was driving,' Coach pointed out. Teek looked to her angrily.

'Sweetie,' Rochelle spoke slightly patronisingly. 'This isn't the time.'

'The hell this isn't the time!' Teek was venomous with rage. 'That bike was the only thing that helped me earn a living in this shitty world. Now what am I gonna do without it? Jump in between camps like you?'

'Honey, we will get you a new bike,' Rochelle spoke as if she were talking to a child. 'However right now we need to get out of here because Henry James is now going to be after us and he is not stupid so he'll probably figure out where a bus of this size could fit in a place like this so, really, let's talk about all of this when we're on the move away from certain death. Is that okay with you guys?' There was a brief silence and everyone looked to Coach.

'Well?' he spoke loudly. 'You heard the lady!'

Everyone got onto the bus hastily and Ellis activated the engine, stopping the alarm from blaring. He put the vehicle into gear and drove away from the motorcycle wreck just as a flurry of infected emerged from the trees in pursuit of the bus. There were hundreds of different types of infected from the common to large Tanks and all of them were catching up to the bus.

Away from the infected Madison was facing a serious threat of her own, not that she was aware of it yet. Lucy had prepared a shot of vodka for everyone and was in the midst of gathering everyone together to share a toast. Malcolm had changed places with Bill and was now watching over Rex instead of him, who made his way down the stairs. As Bill set foot on the ground, he looked toward the fireplace area and saw Madison, Francis, Louis, Zoey and Lucy stood together. Lucy offered Bill a shot of vodka.

'Care to join us in a toast?' she offered.

'Where's the other guy?' Bill queried.

'Oh he doesn't drink,' Lucy told him.

'Well neither do I,' Bill declined her offer. 'I want to keep my head clear.'

'Me too,' Madison placed her shot glass on the table.

'Oh come on, guys,' Francis sighed. 'It's one shot! What's the worst that could happen?' Lucy smiled at Francis and nodded at him.

'He's right,' she agreed. 'We need to celebrate us all coming together and drink to your friend's speedy recovery.'

'I'll drink to that,' Francis smiled. 'Hell, I'll drink to anything right about now.'

'Well you can have mine,' Bill handed Francis his glass, who took it quite happily, swallowing the alcohol readily. Zoey and Louis toasted each other before doing the same with their own shots. Bill pulled Madison aside into the kitchen area to speak privately.

'What the hell are we doing here?' he asked her. 'Your man is critically wounded. He needs to be returned to the submarine. These guys can get us back to the shore in no time.'

'That's true,' Madison agreed, 'but I am following strict orders: under no circumstances are we to reveal the presence of the HMS Jaeger. If we did then we'd cause a stir; everyone would want to be rescued and we simply cannot initiate a full-scale search and rescue operation.'

'Then we steal their truck,' Bill suggested.

'Don't think I've not thought of that,' Madison told him. 'However I went to go outside to have a look and see how much gas is in the tank, to see if it would get us back to the shore and I couldn't get out.'

'What do you mean?'

'They've locked us inside,' Madison whispered. 'And they're holding onto the keys.' Bill looked over to Lucy nervously as she was laughing with the others.

'Why do you think they're holding us here?' he thought out loud.

'Who can say?' Madison shrugged. 'Maybe they're trying to keep us safe from the outside. Or maybe they're trying to just keep us?'

'We need to get out of here,' Bill looked back at her.

'I know,' Madison nodded. 'Miguel says that there are no heat signatures nearby, according to the satellites, so there are no infected out in the woods.'

'Really?' Bill questioned disbelievingly. 'How can there be no zombies out there?'

'I don't really care,' Madison spoke bluntly. 'It just means we have fewer problems to deal with.' Behind them, Zoey let out a loud yawn.

'I feel really tired,' she remarked.

'Me too,' Louis said.

'If you want you two can lie down in the other bedroom?' Lucy offered.

'Thanks,' Zoey said gratefully.

'I'll show you the way,' Lucy led them up the stairs, leaving Bill, Francis and Madison on their own. As Lucy disappeared up the stairs, Bill and Madison went for the door.

'Francis,' Madison spoke in hushed tones. 'Be lookout for us.'

'Sure thing,' Francis walked around the chairs in the lounge area and looked up the stairs and over through the doorway. 'Why?'

'Because we're going to try and break us out of here,' Bill told him, keeling by the front door and looking through the keyhole.

'How come?' Francis asked, wearily. 'These guys are really nice.' Upstairs, Lucy ushered Louis and Zoey into the bedroom. The two fell onto the mattress in a great heap and Lucy smiled sinisterly at them. She took out some rope and walked toward them. In the other room, Malcolm was sat unconscious in his chair, his arms tied securely to the back of it.

'Well we can't stay any longer,' Madison explained. 'We need to get Rex out of here pronto.' She was interrupted by a loud thud. Turning around, Bill and Madison saw Francis lying unconscious on the ground. They moved to help him but Arthur emerged from around the corner holding a double-barrelled shotgun securely in his hands. Bill and Madison lifted their hands as he stepped toward them.

'You couldn't have just drunk the drink, could you?' he muttered, cocking the weapon. Bill and Madison looked at each other worriedly. 'Lucy! Get down here. Two of them tried to leave.'

'Did you stop them?' Lucy asked, walking down the stairs, holding some rope. Listening in on what was going on, Miguel put his hand to his chin, worriedly.

'Of course I stopped them!' Arthur told her. 'They're right there for Christ's sake!'

'Well I'm glad you didn't shoot them like the last bunch of people we brought back here,' Lucy said gratefully. 'They don't stay fresh for very long.'

'What are you doing?' Madison asked. Lucy walked up to her, putting her face close to Madison's.

'We're surviving,' she told her. With that, Lucy knocked Madison in the back of the head and then did the same to Bill. As the two lay unconscious on the ground, Lucy smiled at Arthur, pointing to Madison. 'You can have your way with this one while I cut up the other.' Arthur grinned a sickening smile. He put the shotgun down and moved over to Madison, dragging her away into his room.

When Madison opened her eyes she found herself lying on a bed in the cabin's side room. Up ahead were stacks of ammunition and also a dark figure. Arthur turned around. He had removed his shirt and his slightly flabby skin had several scars and marks on them. Some appeared to be teeth marks and others looked like fingernail scratches. Madison began to struggle in the bed. Her arms and legs were tied with rope securely to the four bedposts. She struggled like mad in an attempt to loosen the ropes but had a horrible feeling that she would not be able to break out as the half naked Arthur stood over her, pulling out a sharp knife. Madison could see herself in the reflection of the blade.

'Are you ready to have some fun?' he asked her as he began climbing onto the bed.

Outside in the main dining area, Bill woke up and found his arms tied to a small wooden chair. His legs were free and he looked up over to see Rex lying on the dining table that was covered in a large sheet. The sheet was white but there were many bloodstains embellished on the fabric. Some looked rather old. Lucy was stood over Rex, a large axe, the sharpest one Bill had ever seen in her hand. She smiled warmly at Rex who was breathing slowly, resting peacefully. With one quick swoop Lucy swung the axe onto Rex's neck, instantly decapitating him. Bill let out a loud scream as he saw the mortifying sight. Blood surged from Rex's neck wound and Lucy knelt down so that her face was splattered with it. She opened her mouth to taste the blood and let out a pleasurable moan, enjoying the taste of his blood and the sensation of it splattering all over her body. Bill looked away from the grotesque show but the image of Rex's head being sliced off his body and the sickening sound of tearing flesh and bone was imprinted on his mind. A tear fell from Bill's eye.

As the blood fountain began to stop, Lucy brushed her damp hair from her face and jumped onto the table, mounting Rex's body. She rubbed the corpse amorously with her hands.

'He's a big, strong guy,' Lucy told Bill. 'They always taste the best. It's a shame that we have to kill them first thought, just in case they try and break out. I always wanted to save some for later.

'You're one fucked up bitch!' Bill spat.

'Art's the fucked up one,' Lucy chuckled. 'You should see what he did to the last girl we brought in here. After about ten hours she wished she was dead but he managed to keep going, bless him, for another twenty before he killed her. Now he brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "having your brains fucked out", you know what I'm saying?'

Arthur climbed onto the bed as Madison continued to struggle. He put his hands on her leg and stroked it as she thrashed about. She was still fully clothed but that was how he liked it. He wanted to slice the fabric away with his knife but first he wanted to get into the mood. He unbuttoned his trousers and sunk his hand down his pants.

'Open your mouth,' he instructed. Madison's eyes widened with the request. She kept her mouth tightly shut. 'You're going to open your mouth,' Arthur explained to her. 'And I feel any teeth then I'll simply pull them out.' He nodded over to the left wall. Madison looked over and saw several necklaces made out of full sets of teeth. It was a shocking sight but what was more shocking was the fact that there were over twenty necklaces hanging on the wall.

Lucy savoured the slices of the axe into Rex's bones while Bill attempted to break out of his restraints. He could hear Arthur in the other room and needed to help Madison by doing anything that he could. Shuffling his chair closer to the table, he looked up and saw Lucy cutting off Rex's leg. She looked up and saw Bill moving close to her.

Arthur perched himself on Madison's chest and pulled down his pants, pushing his bare crotch into her face. He covered her nostrils with his hands and waited for her to take a breath.

'Don't fight it,' he told her, holding the knife menacingly.

'Don't be silly, now,' Lucy hopped off Rex to talk to Bill, leaving the axe with the blade in the table standing upright between Rex's bones. She stepped close to Bill to speak softly to him. 'You don't want to have this done to you while you're alive. We're not bad people, really.'

'Yeah right,' Bill muttered as he jumped to his feet and spun his body around, crashing his chair into Lucy, making it shatter. She let out a cry and it was heard by Arthur who looked around, hopped off Madison and punched the knife into the mattress next to Madison's leg. He grabbed the shotgun, pulled up his trousers and moved into the other room. He saw Lucy lying on the ground and Bill standing up over her.

'Bastard!' he screamed, firing a shot at Bill, who ducked under the table. Grabbing the axe from the table, Bill threw it at Arthur, the blade slicing into the shotgun barrel and severely damaging the gun. Arthur dropped it and Bill moved around the table to get past him and help Madison. Arthur had other plans and punched Bill, knocking him back as he tried to get into the area where Madison was being held. The two began to brawl with each other.

Madison, hearing the struggle, decided that she needed to act fast. Stretching her right foot forward and back, she managed to loosen her shoe on her foot and it fell to the ground. With her bare foot exposed to the world, she began pulling on her leg. As her shoe was bulky, she was able to slip her slender foot through the ropes with little problem. Now the new problem was what she should do next.

Arthur grabbed Bill by the neck and began choking him, pushing him onto the dining table. Bill grabbed Rex's dismembered leg and whacked Arthur in the head with it, knocking him back slightly. Dropping Rex's leg, Bill used his own to kick Arthur backward to the head of the table. Arthur slipped on the large pool of blood that was left there and landed on his back, crying out in pain. Bill turned the assist Madison but Arthur grabbed Rex's head and threw it at Bill's striking him in the back of the head and knocking him down.

Madison used her toes to hold the knife near her foot and cut the ropes that held her other foot so secure. As she freed her legs, Arthur stepped into the room, glaring at her. Madison was able to throw the knife at him but it stuck into his leg. Arthur looked as the knife stood in his skin on its own and began to chuckle.

'Why don't we just skip the foreplay and get right to it?' he walked over to her, not bothering to remove the knife. Madison kicked him away at first but then Arthur grabbed a hold of both of her legs tight. He put her bare foot to his face and ran his tongue over it, savouring the taste of her skin. Madison kicked him in the face and wrapped her legs around his neck, squeezing tight. Suddenly caught off guard, Arthur reached for the knife in his leg but Madison wrapped her legs around his neck carefully and with one quick squeeze there was a satisfying crack and he fell limp, dead. Not using the moment to rest, Madison used her legs to pull Arthur's body up onto the bed and took the knife from his leg. Thankfully Madison was flexible and she was able to bend her leg upward to her arm and cut herself out of the other ropes.

Walking into the main room, Madison knelt over Bill to make sure he was alright. She let out a gasp of horror as she saw Rex's decapitated head lying next to him and stumbled back, laying her hand on a bloody axe that was stuck in a shotgun. She let out a cry and threw both items forward, over Bill and landing near Lucy. She then stood up and saw Rex's decimated corpse and let out a cry as the gruesome sight sank in.

'What kind of country has America become?' she wept to herself.

'A desperate one,' Lucy replied, holding the shotgun up at her. Madison noticed the damaged muzzle and barrel of the weapon and put her hands in front of her.

'Don't shoot,' she cried.

'I'll shoot if I want to,' Lucy cried. 'What have you done to Arty?'

'He's dead,' Madison told her.

'No!' Lucy cried. 'No! I can't be alone! You fucking bitch! What have you done?'

'What have you done?' Madison responded. 'You've butchered one of my soldiers!'

'He was dead anyway,' Lucy spat. 'No one can survive that acid. Besides, if he was a solider can't you just get more in?'

'I liked the one I had to begin with,' Madison answered coldly.

'Here's what's going to happen,' Lucy diverted the conversation. 'You're gonna take me back to wherever your reinforcements are based and you're going to get me out of here. I want to be rescued. I can't take anymore of this shit!'

'If you think I'm going to help you then you're as crazy as you are fucked up,' Madison retorted. Lucy's eyes narrowed as Madison stepped to the head of the table, separating herself from Lucy who was stood by the foot of the table.

'Then you can die you bitch!' Lucy cried, pulling the trigger of the shotgun. Madison kicked the bottom of the table sending the whole thing into the air, protecting her from the blast. As the shotgun was damaged, the entire weapon exploded and killed Lucy as she pulled the trigger. As she fell dead, the table crashed on the ground and the bloody remains of Rex's body splattered onto the ground. Madison was breathing heavily as she fell to the floor, covering her face with her bloody hands as she allowed what had just happened to sink in.

In a different forest, the Midnight Riders tour bus was being driven down a small dirt path. Ellis sat behind the wheel looking incredibly stressed. The dirt road had many twists and turns, preventing great speed. There were thick trees on each side that also prevented any form of creative thinking for their current problem. Behind the bus was a rapidly approaching horde of infected, now even greater in number than before when the bus' alarm attracted them. Ellis wiped some sweat of his brow as he looked worriedly ahead. He had other reasons to be concerned as, aside from the infected, there was another danger nearby.

Up ahead was the perimeter of the forest and beyond that was a large open area with fields and roads that offered a great escape route. However there was a problem, Henry James was waiting on the other side along with his entire Clan. The army he had gathered together to take over Thomas Galt were now positioned just a short distance away from the tree line. A great number of vehicles, from cars to vans, trucks to buses and motorcycles to jeeps formed a large line of defence that was thick, with other vehicles and people holding back and adding substance to the defence. In the middle was Henry James' jeep and he held a radio to his mouth as he began to talk to his people.

'They're coming,' he announced. 'Everyone get ready.' His people began loading their weapons, cocking their shotguns and arming their assault rifles. Others carefully loaded their RPG launchers while some looked through their rifle scopes up ahead into the trees. The Midnight Riders bus suddenly broke through the trees and was slowly heading toward them. 'Get ready to fire!' Henry ordered. Inside the bus, Coach and the others gasped as they saw the reception that Henry was offering them.

'Shit...' Coach muttered. 'Now what?' Henry watched them approach, grinning with arrogance.

'They're not even slowing down,' he chuckled to one of his men. 'What does he expect, that we'll let him through?'

The tree line behind the bus was torn apart by thousands of the infected storming from the forest. Henry's smile faded as quickly as the infected had appeared. Hordes of common infected were charging after the bus and toward Henry's defence. Suddenly from both sides more infected appeared, heading for Henry's Clan in every direction. Someone asked for instructions.

'Just shoot,' he cried into the radio. 'Someone fire at the zombies!'

The person holding their RPG aimed it at the approaching bus. As they fired the shot, the rest of Henry's people took it as a signal to start their own attacks. Ellis pushed his foot all the way down on the accelerator pedal and the bus engine roared as it began speeding toward the front line. Narrowly missing the RPG round, the Midnight Riders approached Henry's people head first. The RPG exploded apart a group of the infected but more continued to run forward. A sickening feeling sunk into some of Henry's people, a feeling of uncontrollable hopelessness. Deciding to flee instead of fight, they backed their vehicles away and attempted to drive off. However the infected swarmed Henry's barricade and the entire scene quickly became one of anarchy. Inside the bus, everyone looked worried as they began to drive through Henry's front lines, everyone except for Ellis who was gripping the wheel tightly.

'I am a leaf on the wind,' he muttered to himself. 'Watch me glide.'

Ellis spun the wheel and sped past several upturned vehicles. The occupants of one car fell to the ground as a Tank lifted it up but were then crushed underneath it as the beast slammed it back down on top of them. A Spitter launched some gastric acid through the window of another vehicle and the occupants screamed as their skin was dissolved from their bones. Gunfire and explosions filled the air as everyone attempted to defend themselves. As the bus drove on a Charger crashed into a man who was about to fire his shotgun at it. While being slammed repeatedly against the ground, the man fired a blind round that obliterated a nearby Boomer, sending bile everywhere. Some of the bile splattered onto a large petrol tanker and some of the infected crashed into it as they ran for someone to harm. A Spitter's acid eroded a hole in the side of the tanker and as gasoline began to pour out, a flaming vehicle thrown by a Tank landed nearby and igniting the leaking petrol. The following explosion sent a shockwave over the people being mauled by Hunters, strangled by Smokers and being torn apart by the horde and made everyone on the bus shake slightly.

Up ahead the view was forbidding. Some of Henry's people who had attempted to flee were now paying for their betrayal dearly as now that they were gridlocked, they could only wait for something to come and kill them. For some, a Hunter dived through the windshield and viciously clawed everyone inside. For others, a Tank slammed its fist through the car, crushing the vehicle together as if it were in a car compacter, with the live people inside screaming in agony as pieces of metal tore through their skin and crushed their bodies. Others were simply swarmed with the common infected, pulled from their vehicle and brutally massacred.

'It's like lambs to the slaughter,' Coach remarked, standing apprehensively behind Ellis as he drove. A Tank threw a crushed car at the moving bus, it crashing into the side but then falling to the ground. 'What the hell was that?'

'Don't worry,' Ellis told him with a slightly shaky voice. 'I'm a leaf on the wind.'

'What the hell are you talking about?' Coach questioned.

'You watch way too many movies, Ellis,' Drake remarked. Ellis allowed Drake's comment to fly over his head as he skidded the bus around a large pileup of vehicles in the middle of his path. Driving through some of the infected and bashing some smaller vehicles out of the way, Ellis managed to pull the bus out of the danger area and onto some clear roads. Everyone sighed a breath of relief as they escaped the devastating battle behind them.

A bullet shot through the back window, leaving a hole in the cracked glass. Behind them was a jeep and Henry James was in that jeep along with a few of his men, chasing after them. The look on his face was one of absolute rage. He and his men were shooting at the bus, attempting to stop them from getting away. Rochelle ducked down with Nick and the two took cover at the seating area by the back window. They began returning fire and shooting at Henry James' jeep.

The jeep was a lot quicker than the bus and Henry drove so he was not behind the Midnight Riders but running parallel to it. Norah kicked open the door and began firing a shotgun at the jeep, causing Henry and the others to recoil slightly. As Norah pulled the trigger and went to pump another round into the weapon's chamber, Henry swerved the vehicle toward the door of the bus, slamming it shut as he crashed into it. He then fired on the door, the close range allowing the bullets to tear through the metal. Norah dived out of the way before she was hit.

Ellis gasped as he saw what was ahead; a bridge over a small canyon. However the bridge had collapsed leaving nothing but a large gap to jump across. Ellis glanced to Coach and then back to the road, thinking of his options. He began accelerating as much as he could, pulling away from the jeep slightly. Henry, who was not watching what was ahead, continued to fire on the bus with his men. Danielle, Drake and Teek lay on the ground covering their heads with their hands. Rochelle leant out of the broken window and fired a few shots into the jeep, killing one of Henry's men. She then looked ahead and saw the edge of the canyon rapidly approaching. She cursed as she leant back inside.

'Hold onto something!' Ellis ordered. He slammed on the bakes and began steering to the left. The jeep pulled out ahead slightly as the bus slowed down. Henry looked ahead and saw the large drop before him and slammed on the vehicle's brakes. The skidding bus that was now moving along the ground sideways crashed into the back of Henry's jeep, using its back end to nudge the vehicle forward. Henry let out a scream as he and his men fell along with the jeep over the edge of the canyon. The jeep spun as it crashed into a rock and tumbled down the rocky slope before landing in a mangled flaming heap on the ground. Everyone inside was dead. The Midnight Riders bus came to a complete stop just by the edge of the canyon, facing the direction of the pandemonium. The frightful sounds of terror echoed across the area. Coach looked around the bus, making sure everyone was alright and then patting Ellis on the shoulder, commending him on his driving skill. Ellis then pulled the bus away from the edge of the canyon and drove off away from the destruction of Henry James' Clan.

Parking the Midnight Riders tour bus safely away from the carnage, everyone stepped outside to assess the damage and try to take a quick breath. Most of the windows were shattered, the entire bodywork was damaged, dented or shot and the interior was in complete disarray due to the high speeds and quick, sharp turns. Drake and Danielle stood away from the bus to evaluate the damage while the others remained close to take a closer glance at their home.

'What are we going to do now?' Teek asked Rochelle. 'Thanks to you and Coach, I no longer have a bike or a way to make a living.'

'You can come with us,' Coach spoke up. 'We'll take care of you.' He glanced over at Rochelle. 'Both of you.'

'Are you serious?' Rochelle asked.

'Seems to me that we all have to stick together if we're going to survive this,' Coach told her. 'Henry James is dead, meaning Thomas Galt's Clan has lost a lot of people. The only thing that we can do now is try and wait out the storm that coming. Thomas might come after us for killing Henry but I doubt that'll happen. He'll be too preoccupied with other people invading the area and trying to take over.'

'You really think that'll happen?' Drake asked, stepping in with Danielle.

'We need to get out of here before we get caught in a war,' Coach said.

'And you'll really let me come along?' Rochelle asked. Coach looked her up and down.

'I trust you,' he told her. Rochelle smiled at him and looked over at Nick who briefly smiled back before everyone started to talk about the new plan with Coach being the centre of the discussions.

Desperate to escape the warring Clans that were destined to battle each other for control of the infected-riddled areas of the United States, Coach spoke with every member of his team to make sure that they all agreed on what their next move would be. As they discussed he noticed something about the people he was travelling with, something about each of them he had never truly perceived until just now.

Coach admired Danielle's caring nature as she looked over everyone's various injuries. He liked Drake's courage for standing up to him in the meeting they had back in the airfield Haven. He also appreciated Norah's loyalty toward him and her invaluable assistance in keeping everyone together. He felt bad for dragging Teek along with him against his will but at the same time felt happy now that he knew that he could be looked after and was no longer on his own. He saw how Nick had been able to let go of his anger and how Ellis had grown from a naive young man to a strong, brave and valiant one. Coach felt a twinge deep down as he saw Rochelle who after everything that had happened between her and the various members of the Midnight Riders, still wanted to come back and make amends by trying to do something for the greater good, even if it did not end as well as she had hoped. Most of all, however, he was aware of everyone's desire to keep alive and work together to do so. Somewhere along their journey, though, they had stopped being teammates and had instead become good friends. Coach felt good that he was in control of this group of friends as he felt sure that he would do whatever it would take to keep them safe.

However, far away from the Midnight Riders, Madison stood outside the isolated cabin with Bill, Francis, Louis, Zoey and Malcolm. She had used a Molotov and watched as the cabin began to burn before their eyes with the three bodies inside. She felt horrific that she had let her friend die in such a horrible way in there. No matter what, she could never lose control of a situation ever again. As Miguel informed her that the mission was still active, Madison prepared herself for the journey ahead, although she felt that she could not handle it. Bill placed his hand on her shoulder and she knew right then and there that she could trust him completely. Bill also knew that he needed to take control of the mission to find Coach and the others.

The road before Coach and Bill was a long one, fraught with danger, pain, horror and difficult sacrifice. However the road also held love, compassion and potential success if he was successful. Bill needed to find Coach. Coach needed to keep his Clan safe. With the stronger infected making other Clans nervous and life in general that much harder, Coach and Bill had their work cut out for them. One thing was for sure.

Their journey would not be boring.

_**And so it begins... again. My final serial fic has started with what I hope was a bang. This was the first chapter split into three parts. I'd love for you guys to review and let me know what you think of it. I'm always trying to improve so any comments are greatly appreciated. I've got a lot planned for our favourite survivors so keep an eye out for regular Midnight Riders updates.**_

_**Andy**_


	4. Search and Find

_**The Midnight Riders**_

Chapter Two – Search and Find

Trust is an immeasurably powerful tool and no one knows this better than a Vietnam veteran known as Bill. From the moment the war had ended he had found himself unable to trust anyone in his life. From the pharmacist who Bill swore was giving him the wrong medication to his thirteenth employer, who he was almost certain, was deliberately underpaying him to the shady people who used to call his house periodically over the phone and request his bank account details; Bill simply did not trust anyone. His lack of confidence in people did not change during the initial stages of the infectious outbreak. When normal people turned into bloodthirsty monsters, Bill saw this as a sign that, inherently, people could simply not be trusted. Even when he encountered the three people who would eventually become his friends, Bill still had a difficult time trusting them. He first started to trust Zoey when he saw how tenderly she had helped Louis' leg injuries back by Mercy Hospital. He first started to trust Francis when he supported him during a tense standoff with a dangerous man in a church who had recently lost his mind. He first started to trust Louis when he saw how passionate he was about saving Zoey from this madman. Bill's attitude toward his companions was also positive due to the fact that almost everyone else that they had encountered had either tried to kill them or suffered a miserable death. Zoey, Francis and Louis had stayed when everyone else had gone. They were constant and never ending as a team, as friends and as a family. Although he never showed it, Bill liked his new family and would do anything to protect them. Now Bill's family had grown with Madison and Malcolm making welcome additions and Miguel just on the other end of the radio guiding everyone in the right direction. The extended family had just experienced a great loss, with Rex suffering a horrific death at the hands of two people who they had thought were trustworthy. Bill attempted to move everyone on in the right direction by taking over command of Madison's team as she was suddenly very distant. Commandeering the pickup truck that Rex's murders had used, Bill and the others drove away from the log cabin they had burnt down and made their way through the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Large trees surrounded the dirt road they were driving on. Bill was behind the wheel with Zoey and Louis sat with him. Madison, Malcolm and Francis were sat out in the back of the truck, holding on tight as they were going over some severe bumps in the dirt road and Bill was neglecting to slow the vehicle down.

'God damn it, Bill,' Francis cried out while slamming his fist on the roof of the car. 'Slow down before we all get thrown off!' Bill ignored Francis' protests and drove over yet another sizeable contusion in the road. Francis shook his head irritably and looked out at the road behind. The sun has just started to rise and its crisp orange glow was soaking gently through the trees. The light breeze passed through the leaves on the trees and from up above the sound of birdsong fell pleasantly to the ground. 'Are those birds?' Francis questioned.

'You know, I think they are,' Malcolm said disbelievingly. 'I never thought I'd hear birds while I was over here.'

'How come?' Madison asked. 'Just because all of the people are either crazy or infected doesn't mean that the birds have nothing to sing about.'

'Oh yeah?' Francis looked to her. 'Well everything's gone to shit so what do you think that they have to sing about?' Madison shrugged.

'Maybe they're just happy that they're not infected?' Francis gave Madison a look of confusion while inside the truck; Louis kept shifting his glances from staring blankly out of the window to watching Bill cautiously. Zoey, who was sat in the middle, felt very uncomfortable with each glance Louis gave Bill.

'Is there something on your mind?' Bill asked him as he looked to him for the fifth time.

'No,' Louis snapped his head back and looked straight ahead, startled. 'No, not at all. Nothing's wrong.'

'I never asked if anything was wrong,' Bill told him. 'I asked if there was something on your mind.'

'What makes you ask that?'

'Oh come on, Louis!' Zoey cut in. 'You've been looking back and forth at him ever since we've been sat in the car so just tell him what's on your mind.' Louis gave her an irritated glare but finally submitted to them both.

'If you insist,' Louis muttered. 'I have been thinking about something.'

'Was it painful?' Bill sniggered.

'I don't know how you can be so calm about everything that's just happened,' Louis ignored his comment. 'I mean one of us just died for Christ's sake!'

'I've seen men die around be before,' Bill sighed. 'Forgive me if I'm used to it.'

'So if I die or if Francis kicks the bucket does that mean that you won't care?' Zoey shuffled nervously at Louis' question. Bill sighed in response.

'Just because I'm used to it doesn't mean I don't care.'

'Hasn't what has just happened taught you that you should be nicer to the people you're with?' Louis questioned. 'Just in case the next conversation you have with them could be your last?'

'No,' Bill spoke with gradually growing annoyance. 'It has taught me to be more careful and make sure that no one else gets hurt. So if you think I'm being cold it's not because I don't care; it's because I want to make sure that no one else dies. Is that alright with you, Louis?' Louis fell quiet.

A loud screeching sound cut through the trees suddenly, startling everyone on the truck.

'What the hell was that?' Francis asked. His answer flew in front of him, quite literally as a Soarer jumped from the top of one of the trees and glided down toward the truck. The Soarer looked like a mutated man whose body had grown like that of a Charger but with skin in between his arms and body, forming wings. His feet were mutated into claws. With its large wings, the infected pushed a strong gust of wind toward the truck, making Bill lose control. 'What is that thing?'

'You mean you've not seen it before?' Malcolm asked, shocked. As the infected swooped down closer to the truck, Madison cocked her gun and began shooting at it. The monster dodged most of the bullets by plunging closer to the ground, tearing through the air at great speed toward to truck. Francis could see that it was reaching out with its claws to grab Madison so he got up to try and push her out of the way. As the back of the truck was small, Madison stumbled and reached her arm out. Francis was grabbed by the infected and as he was lifted from the truck, Madison grabbed onto his leg and the two rose into the air together. Malcolm followed them with his gun, not shooting for fear of hitting them. The Soarer took the two of them out of sight over the trees.

'Miguel!' Bill spoke into the radio. 'Where the hell are they going?' Inside the Tactics Room, Miguel tapped his fingers on the table monitor and the display showed a map with Madison and Francis' icons drifting away from the others.

'They're heading north,' he reported. 'I don't see any roads heading in that direction for a few miles yet and the trees are too thick to drive through.'

'God damn it!' Bill spat. He put the truck into high gear and slammed his foot on the gas pedal. 'We ain't losing any more people!'

...

The inside of the Midnight Riders tour bus was in complete disarray. Shattered glass lay on the ground, broken objects littered the floor and several holes had been made across the walls. Outside the damage was clear; with shot out windows, mirrors and metal the tour bus looked like it was set for a trip to the junkyard, rather than a mechanic. However Ellis had driven it to the latter option and the Midnight Riders found themselves stood at one of the larger Havens in the area. After escaping from the now dead Henry James and his people who suffered a similar fate, they had driven to the next Haven that they could get to. The Haven was a salvaged town with numerous buildings for people to rest in and open areas for them to park their vehicles or attend parties or visit traders. Coach and everyone else were stood in front of the bus. Coach, Norah and Ellis were conversing quietly with each other while Danielle, Drake and Teek were stood in a corner, silently watching them. Nick was stood by himself and a lone Rochelle stepped over to him to keep him company.

'Hey,' she smiled at him.

'Hi,' Nick responded, sounding slightly cold toward her. He sighed and rubbed his face. 'Sorry I didn't mean to sound like that. It's still going to take some time for me to be comfortable with you again.' Rochelle smiled at him and gently rubbed his shoulder before walking away to join Danielle and the others. Nick watched her leave out of the corner of his eye.

Coach, Norah and Ellis stopped talking as they looked at the man who just stepped off the bus. The mechanic, John, gestured to the vehicle as he spoke to them.

'This thing's falling apart,' he said.

'Yes,' Coach blinked. 'We can see that. What will it take to fix it?'

'A God-damn miracle.' Everyone looked at John blankly.

'What?' Norah broke the silence.

'This thing is falling to shit,' John told them. 'It's a miracle that it is still in one piece.' There was a grinding sound and the main door fell off its hinges and crashed to the ground. 'So to speak.'

'Look we'll do anything,' Coach pleaded. 'Just fix her up for us and we'll pay. You can have whatever you find in the cargo hold.'

'I'll bet you ain't got shit in there,' John muttered. Coach gestured to him, allowing him to have a look. John, with some hesitation, obliged and stepped over the broken door to open up the storage area. He saw the vast number of gasoline canisters in there and gave Coach a sly grin. 'I think we can work something out.' Coach and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief. John closed the storage area, wiping his hands with a dirty cloth. 'This ain't gonna be enough though.' Everyone's faces fell.

'The hell it isn't!' Nick cried. 'You have seen how much gas we got in there?' Coach held up his hand, quieting him.

'I think you'll find that all of that gas is more than enough for what we want,' Coach said.

'You'd think so,' John sighed. 'But we ain't living in the same old world anymore. Do you know how much effort it is gonna take to get replacement glass or to repair the damaged panels? This bus is gonna be out of commission for at least a month.'

'A month?' Coach repeated unsure if he had heard right.

'I'm never getting a new bike,' Teek sighed dejectedly.

'You're sure?' Coach asked. 'A month?'

'It could be a bit quicker if you can find me spare parts,' John sighed. 'The best way to do that would be finding another bus just like this and swap the parts over. But then if you had another bus you wouldn't need this one anymore.' Ellis sighed and moved forward, taking John to one side to find out the full extent of the damage. The others huddled together.

'What are we going to do?' Danielle asked. 'We can't hang around here for a month. Thomas Galt will be after us for killing Henry and it's going to be easier for him to find us if we're stuck in one location.'

'There's no way he could know that we were involved,' Norah reassured her.

'Oh no?' Drake interrupted. 'Henry went to meet us and then ends up dead. We lead the zombies right to him and his little army of people. I bet one of them survived that massacre and are on their way to tell Galt that we're responsible. Hell, we're defiantly the ones who pushed Henry off that cliff.'

'I agree,' Coach said. 'We need to be on the move. It's too dangerous to stay in one place and we can't risk having Thomas coming after us when we're crippled like this because there is just no way we can win.'

'Why don't we just cut our losses and run then?' Rochelle asked. Nick looked over at her.

'You've not been back with us very long but you should realise that that bus is our home. We can't just leave it.'

'It keeps us all together,' Norah added. 'There's no way we can survive without a home base like that.'

'So what are you going to do then?' Teek questioned. 'I'm not leaving you until you get me another motorcycle.'

'That's fine,' Coach replied, desperately thinking of a plan. As he did this, Ellis rejoined the group.

'The only way we can fix the bus is if we use spare parts from an identical bus,' he sighed. 'It's rare to see vehicles like this on the road and it'd be even less likely that someone would wanna hand over their spare parts to us.'

'So what do we do?' Teek asked petulantly.

'I have an idea,' Danielle announced. Everyone looked around to her, putting her on the spot somewhat. 'I used to be a surgeon around this area,' she said hesitantly. 'I wasn't here very long because I moved in with my fiancé across the country but during the short time I was here there was a bus crash, a severe one, too. We had about fifty people rushed into the ER. Anyway, I was talking to one of the nurses about it and she told me that it took them a lot of effort to tow the bus to the impound yard because it was so damaged.'

'Where are you going with this?' Coach asked.

'Well the point is,' Danielle said, 'the impound yard was, like, three blocks away from the hospital. And the hospital is about five miles from here.'

'That was before, though,' Rochelle pointed out. 'Well over a year ago. Plus that bus is damaged; we won't be able to get it here.'

'What I think she's trying to say,' Nick spoke up, 'is that an impound yard is bound to be full of vehicles. There may be a replacement just waiting for us.'

'That's a long way to go,' Ellis pointed out. 'Five miles there and back in the zombie zone just to see if there is a bus there? There might not even be one there.'

'There will be,' Teek sighed. Everyone looked over at him.

'Teek?' Coach ushered him.

'That impound yard isn't abandoned,' he told them. 'It's like a fortress occupied by a guy I've done messages for named Tillman. I don't know his first name. It's filled with loads of cars, vans, trucks and buses.'

'I don't suppose earlier was a good time to divulge this information?' Nick muttered.

'Tillman is not the kind of man who trades,' Teek told him. 'There is no way he would hand over spare parts let alone an enormous bus.'

'Well there's no harm in asking,' Norah shrugged.

'There is,' Teek spoke insistently.

'I'm sure we can arrange some sort of deal with him,' Coach said optimistically. 'If it'll get us out of here quicker then why the hell not?'

'You're not listening to me!' Teek cried. 'That man is bad.'

'I hope you can get over your problems with him,' Coach told Teek. 'Because you're coming with us.'

'What?' Teek gasped.

'You, me, Nick and Danielle are going to meet with this Tillman,' Coach instructed. He looked at Norah, Ellis, Rochelle and Drake. 'You four stay here and resupply, while keeping an eye on our home, okay?'

'Sure thing,' Norah nodded.

'Ellis,' Coach stood in front of him. 'I want you to make sure as much of the bus is fixed as possible for when we get back. You got that?'

'Alrighty,' Ellis nodded and smiled.

Coach, Nick and Danielle began to arm themselves appropriately for the journey into the city. Teek watched them nervously until Coach handed him a large pistol.

'Just don't shoot us,' he warned. Teek took the gun from him and held it tightly. It was heavier than he had thought a gun would be. He looked closely at the weapon and the sickly feeling in his stomach began to grow more intense.

...

The feeling in Francis' stomach was one of sickening fear as he looked down at the ground below. The bird-like infected still had him in its claws, with Madison holding onto his leg for dear life. The Soarer had been flying high for quite some time when it now decided to swoop low to the ground. The thick trees were still beneath them and they were rapidly approaching the top of the tree line.

'Francis!' Madison called out. 'Shoot it!'

'Are you crazy?' he cried back.

'The branches will break our fall!' she insisted, her voice sounding slightly uncertain. 'Just do it, trust me!' Francis obeyed her orders and managed to take out his shotgun, aiming it at the infected's body. Just as the green leaves were directly below Madison's feet, Francis pulled the trigger and the beast let go of them. Francis and Madison crashed through the tree branches. Madison's descent was halted by a particularly thick branch but Francis was not so lucky and continued falling. He could see himself crashing to the ground horribly but found his plunge come to a sudden standstill as Madison grabbed a firm hold onto his arm. Using unexpected strength, she managed to pull him up onto her branch. As he settled on the wood safely, he let out a sigh of relief. The cry of the Soarer could still be heard nearby.

'Let's get a little lower,' Madison suggested, climbing down. 'I don't want that thing swooping down onto us again. The two climbed down a few feet. At this height the entire forest was a complex maze of twigs, leaves and branches. Madison and Francis nestled comfortably on a thick branch surrounded by lush green leaves that made it almost impossible to look around. While the Soarer could still be heard it was no longer a problem as it could not be seen. Still quite high from the ground, Madison looked down. 'I think we're safer if we stay up here.'

'What are we waiting for?' Francis asked.

'We need Bill and the others to pick us up,' Madison explained, putting her finger to her ear. 'Commander Doyle, our position here is fixed and secure. We require pickup.'

'Roger that,' Miguel acknowledged in the Tactics Room. He pushed his finger on Bill's icon and dragged it the great distance across the screen, releasing it on Madison's icon. A blue line was projected onto the display and Miguel let out a sigh. 'Due to the road layout it'll take them about two hours to drive to you.'

'Two hours?' Francis cried. 'I don't want to wait that long!'

'Would you rather go back with the nice little flying monster?' Madison responded sarcastically. Francis fell quiet. 'That's what I thought.'

'I'll guide Bill to your location,' Miguel informed Madison. 'I'll also give you a heads up if I read any other heat signatures heading in your direction but as the sun rises the forest will get hot so I can't guarantee anything.' Disconnecting the radio transmission, Miguel left the two sat there alone.

The sun had risen higher in the sky and the pleasant, bright glow shone through the leaves and branches. The birds were singing more passionately and the sound of small insects could be heard nearby. The breeze was gentle, hardly moving the leaves on the branches. The Soarer could no longer be heard, leaving gentle peace as the only background noise.

'Nice day,' Francis commented.

'Very nice,' Madison agreed. There feeble attempts of breaking the silence only made the following silence suddenly very awkward. The two were unable to think of anything to say to each other so while Madison pretended to check her weapon, Francis said the one thing he usually said whenever he was with a girl he did not know.

'So... got a boyfriend?' Madison's gun clicked loudly as she looked up questioningly at him. 'Sorry!' he proclaimed loudly. 'I dunno what I'm thinking. That's usually what I say to girls if I wanna pick them up.'

'You want to pick me up?' Madison asked, sounding angry as she lowered her weapon.

'No!' Francis cried. 'God no... I mean it's not that you're not attractive because you know, you are. It's just we're up a tree and stuff. If we were somewhere else then I'd so do you.' Madison's eyes widened in outrage. 'Wow, I'm saying all the wrong things,' Francis sighed. Madison shifted her position so that she was no longer looking at him. 'So does this mean we're just going to sit here in silence until the others show up?' Madison cocked her gun in response and Francis hung his head, embarrassed. Madison looked at him through the corner of her eye, blushing slightly. Suppressing a sly smile, she composed herself and continued fiddling with her gun. A few moments passed as Francis allowed Madison to get over the comments he made toward her. He then decided to have another shot at a conversation.

'Can I ask you something?' Madison gave him a stern look.

'As long as you're not asking me out on a date.'

'I won't, I promise,' Francis insisted. Madison nodded in response. 'Why the hell did you come here?' Madison looked slightly confused at the question.

'What do you mean?'

'Well why did you, Malcolm and Rex all agree to go on land with us?' Francis elaborated. 'I mean this place is a fucking nightmare.'

'I was ordered to,' Madison explained. 'Rex, Malcolm and were tested and found to be immune to the infection so it seemed to be a reasonable choice.'

'But wouldn't you prefer to not be here?' Francis asked. Madison surprised him by cracking a smile.

'You know, it's funny,' she sighed. 'Whenever I'm out on a mission I always wish that I were back at home. When I'm home, I get restless and wish I was back out on a mission. I want to make a difference.'

'What difference are you making here?' Francis asked. 'I mean no offence but there's not a lot that you can do here.'

'If I can keep you guys alive while you search for your missing friends then that's enough for me.'

'But you're only helping a few people that way,' Francis pointed out. Madison shifted her position and looked straight at him.

'Saving a few people is better than saving none,' she told him. 'I can't save everyone in this country but I might be able to save your friends.' Francis eyed her closely.

'Well that's very cool of you,' he said. 'Most people would just sit back and not really do anything.'

'I'm not like most people,' Madison smiled, shifting her position so that she got closer to Francis. 'Neither are you.'

'Thanks,' Francis smiled. 'What makes you say that?'

'How many bikers volunteer to go into a warzone?'

'Only the ones who like a fight,' Francis leant back. 'So quite a few.' Madison chuckled and looked away. 'I guess that's the same reason why you came here too.'

'What do you mean?' Madison looked back up at him, curious.

'Well don't get me wrong,' Francis was quick to say. 'I believe that you do want to help people and all that but I also think you like the fight, too. No one will put themselves in such a dangerous position like you have unless they really like fighting for their lives.'

'I wouldn't say I like it,' Madison sighed. 'I'm just good at it.' Francis smiled and nodded slowly at her.

'Okay,' he said. 'That sounds like a story.' Madison blushed slightly and flicked the hair from her face.

'Yeah, well, that's story for another day,' she sighed.

'Oh come on!' Francis pleaded. 'You can tempt me like that and not follow through!'

'I think you'll find I can do what I please,' Madison replied, smiling at him. Francis leant forward, staring at her expectantly. Madison sighed, rolled her eyes and held up her hands. 'Alright, I'll tell you.' Francis moved away from her so that she could talk. Madison took a breath and looked at him. 'When I was little my mother made me do karate, judo, taekwondo... you know, just in case. My dad was in the army and I wanted to follow in his footsteps so I enjoyed learning everything to prepare for my career. Anyway when my dad died we moved and she remarried.'

'Your stepfather didn't like you?' Francis guessed.

'What makes you say that?' Madison asked.

'That's the way it always is,' Francis said.

'Well my stepfather had some kids of his own,' Madison continued. 'They didn't like me. They didn't like me a lot. They thought me and my mum were replacing their real mum.' She sighed. 'So anyway, one day my stepbrother snapped and stabbed mum and tried to come after me. I stopped him and got her to hospital.' Francis put his hand to his chin. 'I spent the next few years taking care of my mum because she was crippled. When she died I decided to join the forces. And here I am I guess.'

'Tough times,' Francis sighed. Madison flicked her eyebrows.

'Tough life.' Francis looked at her with a faint smile.

'Well I'm glad you're here now,' Francis told her. 'I mean we need someone who's good at taekwondo during a zombie attack.' Madison cracked up and laughed. She and Francis chuckled together up there in the tree as they waited for their rescue.

...

Using methods of self defence considerably less elaborate than taekwondo; Coach killed the Hunter that had leapt from behind a destroyed car by blasting it in the face with his shotgun as it was flying through the air. Teek watched the corpse just splat to the ground and roll past Nick and Danielle who were walking around it as if it were a small inconvenient hole in the road.

'Does it not bother you anymore?' Teek spoke up, not particularly asking a question. He just needed to voice what was on his mind. 'You're killing people.'

'Kill or be killed, kid,' was Nick's blasé answer. Teek shuffled uncomfortably as they walked on through the street. The Haven was far behind and the impound yard was just ahead. With each step closer to their destination the sickening sensation of dread in Teek's stomach intensified. Danielle looked around at him, a concerned look on her face.

'Are you alright?' she asked.

'I wish I wasn't here,' Teek told her.

'No one wishes they were here, kid,' Nick interjected. 'We just have to make do.'

'Stop calling me kid,' Teek told him.

'Stop acting like one,' Nick responded. 'I know you don't want to go to this place but it's the fastest way we can get you off our backs so just be a man and suck it up.' Danielle shot him a disapproving look, one which Nick shrugged off almost immediately. The potentially tense situation was then dispelled by Coach who was whistling the upbeat tune of the song "Hey Good Looking". Nick and Danielle fell silent as they shifted their gaze over to Coach as he whistled merrily. 'What are you whistling?'

'It was my mom's favourite song,' Coach explained. 'She always whistled it if someone was having an argument to shut them up.'

'Well that's stupid,' Nick muttered.

'It worked on you though, didn't it?' Nick went quiet once again. 'Damn straight.'

'I think we're getting close to it now,' Danielle announced.

'Thank God,' Coach sighed, turning to Teek. 'Are you alright with this?'

'No,' Teek spoke bluntly.

'Well we need t use you to get inside,' Coach told him. 'Come on; we just make the deal and then everything will be fine. You'll get a new bike faster.'

'You know,' Teek held up his hands. 'I really don't mind waiting a little bit. Why don't we just head back?'

'For Christ's sake,' Nick exclaimed. 'Stop being such a pussy and deal with whatever problems you've got, alright?'

'That's easy for you to say,' Teek muttered under his breath. Nick looked around to question him but was stopped as he walked into Coach who was now stood still.

Just ahead of the four was a large set of iron gates that was stood in the middle of a tall, thick brick wall. The wall acted as a perimeter fence that ran a great distance, forming a neat rectangle shape. Inside the rectangle was the impound yard, a heavily defended place of interest with large makeshift lookout towers in each corner. Corpses lay around the front of the area, most were of the infected but some appeared to be of those who had not succumbed to the infection. Teek stared grimly at the corpses as with each careful step, they approached the gates. The impound yard itself was nothing much to look at. There was one small building inside the perimeter. These offices had been converted into small living areas for Tillman and his small army of men who were patrolling the inside of the compound. To the back was a large area that was packed full with parked vehicles. Cars, vans, trucks, buses and even a funeral hearse were all part of the eclectic collection of Tillman's cars. To the end was a car crusher. A large metallic walkway was built over the vehicles and the area itself to act as a good spot to observe the nearby surroundings. A lookout was stood on the walkway and he spotted Coach and the others approaching the yard. He lifted a pocket radio and spoke into it.

As Coach took another step closer to the yard, a loud gunshot caused him and everyone else to duck for cover. The bullet hit the ground right next to his foot and Coach gripped his gun tight and looked around for the shooter along with the rest of his team. Teek was crouched, covering his head. Coach looked up and through the gates saw a man step to the barrier.

'Drop your weapons!' he ordered.

'Stop shooting at us!' Coach retorted.

'You're trespassing on Tillman's property,' the man yelled, being joined by several other people who each had their weapons poised on Coach and the others. 'You will follow his rules.'

'How are we on his property?' Nick spat. 'We're outside the fence!'

'The land you are stood on belongs to Tillman,' the man continued to speak.

'The hell it does!' Nick looked up at him. Teek, anticipating a serious situation arising, stood up and held up his hands, allowing his weapon to drop to the ground.

'I am messenger Teek,' he introduced himself. 'I have worked for Tillman before and I wish to see him to propose a deal.'

'What kind of deal?' Teek was asked.

'An exchange.' The sentries exchanged glances. The speaker looked dismissive.

'What could you four possibly have that Tillman requires?'

'Gasoline,' Coach spoke, slowly standing tall again. He quietly enjoyed the bright look in everyone's eyes.

'And how much do you have?'

'Enough,' Coach told him, making a lot of effort to look and sound superior. The speaker took a small radio in his hand and spoke into it. As the person on the other end finished speaking back, he waved at someone out of sight and the gates began to slowly open. Coach looked over at Teek and gave him a confident wink as they all made their way into the impound yard.

Coach and the others were led into the office building where they were then escorted up to where Tillman was. On the way they each saw the tight living conditions in the converted workspaces with some men and women using dorms the size of broom cupboards as personal areas. To the back of the building down a thin corridor was a wooden door leading to Tillman's office. Through the door was a large room in comparison to the rest of the areas in the building. To the back was a desk and chair and at the front was a coffee table with two small sofas made of out a sickeningly green fabric on each end. Someone had clearly attempted to make the office appear more elaborate than it actually was. Behind the desk was Tillman; a man with dark skin and hair in his forties. He looked at Coach, Danielle, Nick and Teek carefully as they walked inside and sat on the sofas, his eye sticking to Teek more than the others. Standing up and moving around the desk, Tillman leant on the side to talk to them. He waved the speaker who had escorted them to his room away, leaving them all alone.

'What a pleasant surprise, Teek,' Tillman smiled. 'I wouldn't have pegged you as the type to join a Clan, especially after you declined the offer to join mine.' Teek shuffled nervously.

'Well I'm not really with these guys,' he explained. 'I'm just going along with them until they repay me a debt.'

'I assume that is what brings you here?' Tillman moved onto Coach.

'Yes,' he confirmed. 'We're here to propose a deal, a trade.'

'Oh come on now,' Tillman spoke theatrically causing Danielle and Nick to exchange confused glances. 'Don't ruin things by getting straight to business. Most people know that I very rarely do deals with anyone unless they've got something I desperately want, which I am sure you don't have.' Coach bit the bottom of his lip. 'So don't just dive straight in there, that's not how I do business. I need to be pampered, treated, wined and dined, you understand?'

'Sorry,' Coach spoke hastily. 'I just thought you wouldn't have a lot of time to deal with us since you're such an important man.' Tillman grinned at him.

'I like you,' he smiled, glancing over to Teek. 'Now see; why can't you be more like that?' Teek looked away feeling very uncomfortable. Tillman, enjoying the effect he was having on the boy, looked back to Coach. 'Truth is I have many people to do things for me, so many people in fact I can't hardly remember any names. The speaker who greeted you is my second in command and I'm always forgetting his name... Good God what is it? Anyway, who knows? The point is that I have all the time in the world.'

'Well we don't to be honest,' Coach spoke as politely as he could. 'We have our friends waiting for us back at the Haven so we can't stay too long.'

'I guess you'll have to work quickly then,' Tillman sighed. 'Go on then. Make me want to do business with you.' Coach and Teek exchanged anxious glances.

Back at the Haven, Norah and Rochelle were casually wandering through the maze of trading stalls that had been set up down a long street. As they stepped around the many people who were looking for various items of value, Rochelle saw a stand that appeared quite familiar. She then realised that this was because they had walked past it now for the third time without getting anything. Rochelle voiced her observation to Norah.

'How come we're going in circles?'

'We are?' Norah asked absentmindedly. 'I've not really noticed.'

'Are you alright? You seem distracted.'

'I am,' Norah ran her hand through her hair. 'I'm usually like this all the time when Coach is away. I often send Nick, Ellis or Danielle to gather supplies so I can stay back in the bus and quietly worry.'

'How wise of you,' Rochelle commented light-heartedly. Norah laughed a little.

'I just worry too much,' she said in a defeated tone. 'In all honesty can you blame me?'

'Well it's a bit of a surprise,' Rochelle answered candidly. 'I mean back before with all that drama involving the Director, you were tough and strong. You didn't take any crap and you certainly didn't quietly worry behind the scenes.'

'That was a different time,' Norah sighed. 'I was working toward getting the Director to pay for what he had done. To be honest I didn't really know if I would be able to do it or not so I just went crazy and fought as hard as I could. I didn't care about anyone else.'

'Why should things be different now?' Rochelle questioned to which Norah gave her a sarcastic glance.

'Are you kidding? This entire country has been changed beyond recognition. The fight has changed along with it. We're not fighting to get to be rescued; we're fighting to survive here, permanently. The rest of the world has forgotten about us so everything we see in front of our eyes is everything that there is. There's no more law, no justice and no peace. There's just this and it stinks. The only way we can survive is if we stick together with people that we trust and I trust these people I am with entirely. It's hard to find people you can trust so dependently.'

'Tell me about it,' Rochelle muttered.

'I care about the people I'm with each day,' Norah continued. 'We're each part of a family. You left us right as we were all starting to connect and now you're back seeing what you missed. I feel that if just one person leaves us then it will be devastating so that's why I worry. I care about these people and they care for me and each other.'

'I don't mean to interrupt this love-fest,' Rochelle sighed. 'I'll go if you want me to.'

'Don't go,' Norah told her. 'You're part of our family. Estranged, yes, but part of it nonetheless.' Rochelle smiled, feeling genuinely touched by Norah's words.

'That's very nice of you to say,' she thanked her. 'I was fairly sure that no one would want me back after I had just left you all for someone else.'

'Just don't do it again, sweetie,' Norah advised her. She shared a cheeky grin with Rochelle and the two continued on their way slightly more energetic than before.

Meanwhile beside the Midnight Riders bus, Drake was assembling everything they had inside into a neat pile just beside it while Ellis and John prepared to try and fix the vehicle. Drake was sweaty from transferring all of the furniture from the bus and wiped his forehead with his sleeve as he took a quick break. All of the stored weapons had been removed from the bus and it was only when they were all piled up that it was apparent how many they owned. Next to the stack of assault rifles, shotguns and pistols were appliances and personal items. Drake sat on the ground and looked around for his bottle of water. After a moment of fruitless searching, Drake was approached by Ellis who handed him a bottle.

'Sorry,' he told him. 'I just needed a swig I hope that's alright.'

'Sure,' Drake muttered slowly, taking the bottle back from him.

'How's it getting along?' Ellis asked as Drake swallowed a mouthful.

'Tediously,' he pulled the bottle away from his mouth. 'It feels weird going into other people's rooms though. I know they gave me permission to take all the stuff out so we can repair it but it still feels weird, like I'm invading their privacy or something.'

'We're gonna have to change rooms around now,' Ellis told him. 'What with Teek and Ro joining us.'

'I guess so,' Drake sighed, taking another draught of water.

'Teek'll probably be leaving when Coach gets him a new bike,' Ellis continued. 'I dunno if that'll happen when they visit this Stillman character...'

'Tillman,' Drake corrected him. Ellis shrugged.

'Whatever,' he went on. 'The point is if Teek does come back with us you'll probably have to share a dressing room with him. There are only four so I'm thinking Coach and Norah, Ro and Danielle, Nick and myself and you and Teek. That sound alright to you?' Drake paused for a moment.

'Yeah,' he spoke hesitantly. 'Sure, why not?'

'That's good,' Ellis spoke sounding slightly relieved. 'I'll tell that to Norah when she and Rochelle get back. I wanna try and help her out as much as possible, you know? Can't be easy workin' as hard as she goes all the time.'

'Well I know something about working hard,' Drake held out his hand to Ellis who took it, helping him rise to his feet. 'On that note I have more rooms to tear apart.' Drake stepped around Ellis and went up back into the bus. Ellis stood there, looking at the furniture piles with a faint smile on his face.

Back in the impound yard, Tillman had a wiry smile on his face as he listened to Coach talk about the deal he wished to make. Although he was listening to every other word that was spoken, Tillman found his mind and his gaze drifting over toward Teek who shuffled uncomfortably each time he stared at him. As Coach began talking about what he could offer in exchange for the bus that he desired, Tillman interrupted him by speaking loudly.

'What I would like,' he said, 'is to speak to you all individually.'

'Oh?' Coach was confused. He looked around the room and shrugged. 'Why?'

'Well you keep preaching about how important your family is,' Tillman explained. 'I'd hardly consider the people I'm surrounded by family material but that's by the by. I want to see why closeness is so important to you.'

'Okay...' Coach muttered slowly, glancing at his companions to see how they felt about the proposal. 'I guess that'll be alright.' Teek closed his eyes worriedly.

'I'll start with the young boy first,' Tillman announced. 'Then I'll talk to the rest of you. Allow us some privacy?' Tillman's speaker entered the room and held the door for the others to leave. As Nick and Danielle went to leave, Teek shot Coach a pleading glance.

'I don't want to do this,' he whispered to him. Coach, seeing how upset the boy was, put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently.

'I'll be right outside,' he assured him, stepping away and out of the room. The speaker followed him out, leaving Teek and Tillman alone in the office.

There was a brief moment of silence as Tillman and Teek stared at each other. They were both on their feet at opposite ends of the room. Tillman took one step forward as he began to speak and Teek responded by taking one step back.

'It's so nice to see you again,' Tillman noticed Teek's unease. 'You don't have to worry.'

'I don't?' Teek responded sarcastically.

'Of course not,' Tillman grinned. 'You're a special boy, you know that. I won't let anything bad happen to you.'

'I guess that is where our definitions of bad differ,' Teek muttered. Tillman smiled playfully at him.

'Why are you being so hostile?' he stepped forward.

'Keep away from me,' Teek cried, putting his back to the wall. Tillman grinned as he continued walking toward him. He stopped just in front of the boy and took his hand.

'Now things went a little bad last time,' Tillman acknowledged. 'You didn't like my suggested payment method for your messenger services.' He squeezed his hand firmly and pulled him away from the wall, close to him. 'What your leader has requested is not cheap and some gas isn't going to foot the bill. If he wants to get what he wants,' Tillman looked Teek up and down. 'Then I'm going to get what I want.' An overwhelming feeling of sickness and dread sunk into Teek's stomach.

...

'Eye spy,' Francis said, 'with my little eye, something beginning with... C.'

'You've already done chlorophyll,' Madison informed him. 'And you still can't see it. It's minute! It can't be seen.'

'What are you, the eye spy police?'

'Miguel,' Madison put her finger to her ear. 'How much longer until the others get here?' Francis grinned at her.

'About five minutes,' she was told. 'And chlorophyll makes the leaves green so you can sort of see it.' Madison ignored Francis' smirks and disconnected the radio.

'Hurts to be wrong, doesn't it?' Francis teased. Madison cracked a smile and then looked down to the ground as she heard something on the forest floor snap. She observed a Hunter crawling around. Her eyes widening in surprise, she did not have a chance to react before the infected looked up at her and pounced. Madison and the Hunter fell off the tree branch, spinning and tumbling to the ground. Madison managed to land on top of the Hunter, causing it to release its grip. As they lay there, she punched the beast in the face repeatedly until another noise made her look up.

Madison looked up just in time to see a Charger emerged from the trees, grab her and drag her along as it continued running. It crashed through the bark of the tree she had just been in and it began leaning to the side with Francis still on the branch. The tree began to fall to the ground just as Madison and the Charger went off into the thickness of the forest. Francis was able to jump off the tree and landed in a safe roll on the ground before it landed. The Hunter looked up just in time to see the tree crash on top of it. As it settled, Francis ran around it after Madison.

The Charger ran through more trees as it dragged Madison across the floor. Her face was becoming very scratched and bloody. When the infected came to a steep downward sloping hill it lost its footing and tumbled down with Madison still being held tight. As it crashed to the ground the grip was loosened and Madison was able to wriggle free and pull herself away from the beast. As she crawled away, the Charger grabbed onto her leg to halt her escape but Madison used her free leg to kick it in the face repeatedly. Using her assault rifle, she then unleashed a hail of bullets that dispatched the beast before it had a chance to get up.

Standing up, Madison wiped the blood from her face and staggered through the trees. There was a clearing up ahead so she made her way for it. He ears ringing from the journey through the forest and the gunfire from her rifle she did not hear Francis as he reached the top of the hill and call out after her. Slowly navigating his way down the slope, Francis went after Madison. Pushing her way through bushes and twigs, Madison finally stepped out into the middle of the clearing. Francis saw her step out into the open just as the truck Bill was driving crashed into the side of her. Madison was sprawled over the hood of the vehicle, slowly sliding down off it. She fell to the ground in front of the car as Bill and the others got out, checking to see if she was alright. Francis let out a loud cry as he ran over toward the scene. Madison was still conscious but in visible pain. Francis lifted her up and put her in the back of the truck and ordered Bill to drive as fast as he could. Bill did as Francis asked but as he began talking with Miguel it was apparent that they were stuck in the middle of the forest and there was no short way out. The wheels spinning slightly on the dirt, the truck launched off further into the trees.

...

Coach, Nick and Danielle were wandering through the impound yard. The speaker had given them permission to do so and they were examining the conditions that Tillman's men were forced to live in. As they went outside, they looked at the numerous vehicles Tillman was in possession of, including several buses that were exactly like the one they had. Arranging themselves near the entrance of the impound yard, Nick began the discussion.

'Why the hell does he need so many cars? I bet most of them don't even work.'

'Well some of them do,' Danielle hypothesised. 'And that's all he needs to become powerful. Everything else is just scrap resources, which are also in high demand since they're not being developed anymore.'

'This Tillman guy has found himself a neat little goldmine here,' Nick sighed. 'Makes you wonder why he'd bother with us when all we can offer are just a few cans of gasoline.'

'That's true,' Coach agreed, sounding slightly uneasy. 'I've been thinking about what Teek was saying earlier. He was really uneasy about coming here.'

'Why was that?' Danielle asked.

'He didn't say,' Coach shook his head. 'But did you notice how Tillman kept staring at him during our meeting?'

'Yeah,' Nick nodded. 'Yeah, he did! I just thought he had a lazy eye or something.'

'What are you getting at?' Danielle questioned.

'I don't know,' Coach sighed. 'I just have a bad feeling about this.'

Teek found himself forced onto Tillman's desk, knocking over stationary, letter openers and various ornaments that decorated the space. He attempted to move away but Tillman reached into his breast pocket and retrieved a small retractable knife. Teek immediately froze as he saw him approach him with it.

'Don't do anything stupid now,' Tillman advised him. 'You got out of it last time but now I am prepared to ruin your pretty face. Now if I did that I wouldn't want you anymore and then I wouldn't give your friends that bus making all this in vain for you.' He put the knife back in his pocket and placed his hand on Teek's face. The boy trembled in fright as Tillman touched him. He ran his fingers from Teek's face down over his chest. A tear fell down his face as Tillman's hand went down across his body. Just as it reached his pelvis, Teek let out a cry and forced Tillman off him using whatever nearby that came to hand as a weapon to push him away. Tillman let out a gasp as he fell back and Teek realised that he had used the letter opener to push him away. The blade was still stuck in the front of Tillman's neck as he fell to the ground, dead.

Teek let out a cry as he clambered over the desk and went to the corner of the room, falling to the ground in a trembling heap. The door burst open and the speaker walked inside. Upon seeing his boss' corpse, he immediately shut the door and looked over at Teek.

'What the fuck have you done?'

'I'm sorry!' Teek cried. 'I didn't...'

'You didn't?' The speaker repeated. 'You obviously just did! Shit! Do you know what this means?'

'No?'

'You've made things slightly easier for me...' Teek looked surprised at the speaker. 'This guy was a fucking asshole. I don't care why you did it but I'm grateful.' Teek was unsure of what to say in response. 'Help me move the body,' the speaker told him. 'Do it and I'll give you whatever you want.'

When Teek was back in the Haven and Coach told him that he would be coming along for the mission, he did not imagine that he would find himself in this position. He did know that Tillman would try and harass him but he could never have imagined that he would find himself holding his ankles as he and the speaker carried him over to a car to the back of the impound yard. He had no idea why he was doing this. Teek had killed someone and the one man who was close to that person wanted to cover it all up. He did not know why, all Teek knew was that he had no choice but to trust this man. There was no one around as he helped usher Tillman into the front passenger seat of the vehicle. As the speaker closed the door, he patted Teek appreciatively on the shoulder.

'Thanks, kid,' he smiled. The speaker then ploughed his knee into Teek's stomach and he fell to the ground in disabling pain. Rolling onto his back, Teek looked up as the speaker grinned and slammed his foot onto his face, making everything go black.

...

The sun was once again descending toward the horizon. Bill had finally managed to drive everyone out of the intense forest but Madison was rapidly becoming worse. Malcolm had diagnosed that she had some broken ribs and a concussion at the very least but it was difficult to examine her while on the back of a speeding pickup truck. The wheels of the vehicle ran over something on the road, a small sign that read "Welcome to New Bern". Bill was going in any direction that appealed to him in a desperate search for a hospital. He knew that the chances of finding something there that would help Madison were slim, since after an entire year the facility would probably be picked clean. However he needed to try. Screeching around a corner, he drove down one long road with an elaborate, grand fence on one side, not that anyone in the truck noticed it. However people on the other side of the fence noticed the truck and pulled a switch to activate a large searchlight. The beam was shone onto the truck, startling Bill and causing him to skid to a halt. Everyone looked around to the direction of the light, shielding their eyes from the blinding glare. The brightness suddenly dimmed, revealing a set of grand iron gates. Behind these gates that sat in the middle of the large fence was an enormous mansion. With two floors and long wings, it was an imposing sight in the dusk. However the front gates opened and someone stepped out, beckoning them to come inside. Not waiting to be asked twice, Bill drove the truck through the gates which were promptly sealed behind them.

Parking the truck near the main door, Bill got out, asking for assistance. As the rest of the team disembarked they were greeted by a large group of men with shotguns. Zoey grimaced at the sight of the welcoming committee as she and everyone else lifted their hands into the air.

'We're really bad at this!'

...

When Teek's eyes flickered open, the first sight he saw was that of the glass shattering. Shielding his face from the razor-sharp spray, Teek looked away and tried to move but found that he could not. As he looked at his surroundings, he realised that he was in the driver's seat of the car he had just loaded Tillman into. His arms were tied to the steering wheel with rope. Teek looked over to the right and saw Tillman's corpse leaning against the door. He also noticed that through the broken window he could see that they were being lifted. The car was in the clutches of the large crane and was being lifted slowly through the air so it could be dropped somewhere else. The car's destination was a vehicle crusher that was nearby, the grinding blades spinning viciously.

The speaker, meanwhile, approached Coach and the others by the front of the impound yard.

'Tillman has decided to accept your offer and will trade you the bus you desire,' he told them. Danielle and Nick looked equally surprised yet happy. Coach on the other hand, frowned slightly.

'Where's Teek?' he asked the speaker. 'And who the hell are you anyway?'

'I'm Tillman's speaker and he has given me orders to get you three on your way as quickly as possible.'

'Where's Teek?' Coach repeated.

'He is with Tillman,' the speaker told him. 'He does not wish to be disturbed.'

'Disturbed?' Nick questioned. 'What the hell does that mean? What are they doing?'

Teek tried to wrestle his wrists from the rope restraints but was unable to do so as they were tied too tight. He looked at the wheel and prayed someone would come help him so he pushed his arms forward onto the horn. The car horn began blaring out and everyone noticed it.

'What's that?' Coach asked.

'One of our vehicles has a damaged horn,' the speaker explained. 'It blares a lot so they're destroying it.' Coach eyed him suspiciously. Teek was suddenly hit by inspiration and began pushing the horn to use it to make a tune. Coach looked behind the speaker and saw the suspended car that was now using its horn to play the tune of "Hey Good Looking". Nick and Danielle shot each other dark glances. Coach pulled out his gun just in time for the speaker to push him away and order everyone to shoot at them.

As Tillman's army opened fire, Coach, Nick and Danielle were able to retreat into the offices before being wounded. The speaker walked over toward the car crusher. As the three Midnight Riders took refuge in the offices, they hastily discussed tactics.

'I'm the fastest runner,' Nick announced. 'I'll run and stop the crane from moving.'

'We'll cover you,' Danielle nodded. 'Run through the building though. You can jump through a window in Tillman's office to get there quicker.' Nick tapped her on the shoulder and then looked to Coach for approval who gave it with a curt nod. As Nick went to run through the building, Coach kicked down the door and began shooting.

Above all the commotion, Teek was still hopelessly trying to untie himself from the ropes. The crane stopped transporting the car and it was now above the crusher. As the device began to lower the vehicle, everything inside shifted and Tillman's corpse flapped from the door over to Teek, leaning against him. Teek's first instinct was to push him away but he stopped himself when he noticed what was in Tillman's pocket. His eyes lighting up, Teek lowered his head toward Tillman's breast pocket and when he lifted it he had the handle of the dead man's knife in his mouth. He used the blade to saw through the ropes. As they fell to the floor, Teek looked around for options but soon saw that he was nearly too late. The front of the car tilted forward and Tillman's body went through the broken windscreen. Holding onto the headrest, Teek watched as he saw the corpse fall to the blades and get effortlessly sliced to pieces. If he let go now, he was fairly sure that his death would be painless in comparison to being crushed slowly in the car.

Nonetheless, Teek began to climb through the car that was slowly being lowered toward the blades. The back window was still intact and Teek pushed the blade into it as hard as he could, to little success. He continued trying to push through the glass as the car got nearer and nearer to the crushing blades. Using one last push, Teek was able to shatter the glass with the knife but the shards cut his hand, causing him to drop it. As the knife fell and was torn apart by the crusher, the hood of the vehicle got within inches of the force of the blades. This is when the claw of the crane released it and the front of the car was instantly crushed. While the rest was slowly chewed up by the machine, Teek was able to climb out and leap to safety just in time to see the rest of the vehicle get decimated. A tear ran down his face as he lay on the ground being thankful that he was alive.

However it was not over yet. Teek opened his eyes in time to see the crane's claw plummet toward him. He was able to roll safely out of the way as it crashed into the ground. Standing up, Teek went to run but saw the speaker ahead of him. Stopping in his tracks, Teek stood before the man who had clenched fists. The speaker threw a single punch toward Teek who was able to duck quickly, avoiding the blow and run away. In pursuit, the angry man chased Teek toward the stairs that led up to the walkway overlooking the entire impound yard. As they climbed the stairs, Nick shot out the windows of Tillman's office and looked up at the crane's operation room. Taking aim, he fired several shots at it.

The crane claw lurched forward, swinging violently as the corpse of the operator fell on the controls. The claw crashed into the metal walkway just ahead of Teek and the speaker. The platform they were on gave way and fell, with one end hanging on in a fragile hinge. The other end dangled perilously over the crusher. Teek and the speaker had been able to hang onto the hand railings on separate sides of the walkway. The speaker launched a kick toward him, striking the boy in the face. Teek was unable to defend himself from the attacks. The speaker, trying a different tactic, climbed up slightly and jumped across the small gap and landed right on top of Teek. As he punched him in the stomach, Teek spat in his face before head butting him. Winded by the pain, Teek tried to pull himself up and climb away from danger. He climbed closer to safety as the speaker wiped the spittle from his eyes. Looking murderously up at the boy, he too began climbing at a feverish pace. Teek was close to the top he could almost reach but found himself snagged at the speaker grabbed his foot. Teek tried to wriggle free but his attacker continued climbing, preparing to pull him off and send him to his death. However Teek feel a hand grasp his own and looked up at Nick who was now holding onto him tight. The platform gave way and fell into the crusher, clogging the machine. The speaker was still holding onto Teek for dear life. Teek was able to wriggle one leg free and kicked the man repeatedly in the face. His grip loosened and the speaker fell down toward the crusher. Nick pulled Teek up and asked if he was alright. As the speaker landed in the clogged machine, he noticed that he was in between two sharp, blocked blades. Considering himself lucky, he got up to try and sneak up on Teek. However as he moved, his foot disturbed the metal walkway blocking the blades, allowing them to grind again. The speaker was instantly crushed between the thick metal blades that sliced through his body with great ease, splattering blood everywhere. The crunching sound of splattering internal organs was a sickening one.

The gunfire soon ceased. Without proper leadership, Tillman's army was picked apart surprisingly easily by the Midnight Riders. Taking what they had come for, the four drove off in the bus and headed back toward the Haven.

...

Bill was stood inside a small study that was exquisitely decorated. The small oak desk he was leaning on was shiny and tidy. The bookshelves to his right were fully stacked with the volumes in appropriate order and the two reading sofas that were nearby looked very old and very expensive. Bill felt out of place in the mansion of style and antiques, he wanted nothing more than to just leave. He felt angry with himself for driving straight into an obvious trap. He had no idea what was happening to the others as they had all been separated when they had arrived. Madison was taken away in a small stretcher so he believed that the people who were accommodating him and the others were not bad people or at least not too bad.

As Bill's mind raced with the possibilities of what could happen, the door to the study opened and a tall man stepped inside. He wore a fine pinstripe suit that was absolutely immaculate with no stains or creases. His hair was long and blonde, combed back neatly to match his style. His eyes were green and as he smiled, Bill could tell that it was a genuine one. The man looked to be no older than thirty and he stood tall before him with confidence and class.

'Good evening,' the man introduced himself. 'My name is Oliver Rooney. Welcome to my mansion.'

'Nice to meet you,' Bill muttered. 'Where are my friends?'

'Oh they're absolutely fine,' Oliver assured him. 'They all seem to be in remarkably good condition, with the exception of the young lady in my infirmary.' Oliver spoke in a low voice that gave the impression that he had grown up with a lot of money in his life. 'No need to worry,' he lifted his hands up reassuringly. 'She will be fine. I have excellent medical staff.'

'Why are you helping us?' Bill asked. 'It's not that I'm ungrateful but I just assumed that...'

'Was it the guns?' Oliver asked. 'Sorry about that but they are a necessary precaution. When some people who have been living in the rough all this time experience this kind of hospitality they can sometimes become...' he paused for a moment to think of a pleasant way to phrase what he wanted to say. 'Over enthusiastic.'

'What is the place?' Bill asked, his eyes narrowing.

'This is my mansion,' Oliver told him. 'It truly is exquisite. When my parents passed away a few years ago they left it to me; all one hundred and nineteen individual rooms, all eleven gardens and all of their money to improve it how I desired, not that money matters much now anymore.' Bill eyed Oliver closely. 'Anyway when all of this infection business was starting I decided to do what I could for society. After all we are all the same, essentially are we not?'

'I guess,' Bill shrugged. Oliver smiled and nodded at him. 'So why did you invite us in?'

'Everyone needs as many friends as they can get,' Oliver explained. 'With all the different Clans out there fighting incessantly, there is really little reason to stand apart.'

'Yeah...' Bill was pretending to know what he was talking about. Oliver eyed him narrowly.

'You know I am curious,' he stepped close to him. 'What Clan do you belong to mister...?'

'Call me Bill... and me and the others are part of... our own Clan. We don't get bogged down with names.'

'Is that right?' Oliver continued to look at Bill suspiciously. 'You know it is unusual to see a group as small as yours in such good health.'

'What do you mean?' Bill asked worriedly.

'Well you're all well fed with good weapons, equipment and ammunition. You even had radios to communicate with each other. Since that first infection I've never seen anyone like you. No one with such... military precision.' Bill's unease was clear. 'Where are you from, Bill?'

Bill knew that he was not allowed to tell any other survivors about the submarine or else the consequences could be dire. He decided, therefore, to lie instead.

'We're soldiers,' he told him. 'We were guarding a research facility in the mountains, a place that was researching a cure for the virus that's caused all this shit.'

'Why are you here now?'

'Some of the zombies got in and killed everyone,' Bill put on false emotion. 'We're the only ones who survived. I accidentally ran over Madison while we were escaping. You have to help her.' Although still sceptical, Oliver appeared to believe Bill's story, much to Bill's surprise.

'So you've been isolated from the world for a whole year?' Oliver asked.

'Yeah,' Bill nodded.

'Well it looks like you're going to need a crash course in how things are done around here.'

Oliver explained the way of the world to Bill while showing him around his mansion. To say it was elaborate would be an understatement with many rooms all tastefully decorated. Many were occupied by other survivors who had accepted Oliver's invitations to live there. Out the back in the many large gardens were modern looking buildings, each was tall and populated. Oliver Rooney had managed to build himself a miniature city in the back of his house for people to enjoy.

'This is a Haven,' Oliver explained. 'But it's not just any old Haven. On the road most Havens are flat stretches of land or secured locations with a few merchants trying to sell you scavenged items. This one is different. We have excellent medical care, security and plentiful supplies. We even have education for some of the children.'

'How can you keep all of this running?' Bill asked.

'The people we invite in and accept to our Clan are expected to give back,' Oliver told him. 'We all work together to keep this place alive.'

'Not a bad effort,' Bill complimented.

'Thank you,' Oliver stopped walking, looking at Bill seriously. 'Now I want to invite you and your people to become part of my Clan.' Bill was taken aback by the suddenness of the request. Oliver sensed this and patted him on the shoulder. 'I'll let you talk about it with your people. I'll take you to them.' With that, Bill followed Oliver so he could be reunited with the others. He sensed that this situation had the potential of becoming very ugly.

...

Drake and Ellis watched in awe as Nick drove the replacement bus into John's garage. As everyone disembarked from it, John looked it up and down and took off his hat.

'Well I'll be God damned,' he muttered. Coach chuckled and threw the keys at him.

'You can fix our one up now, right?'

'Sure can,' John smiled. Coach pulled his head close to his to whisper something to him.

'Your payment will be in the form of a large, all of a sudden disused impound yard filled with hundreds of cars. Is that alright for you?' John's eyes lit up as he looked at Coach.

Nick and Danielle were stood in front of the bus talking to each other when Drake approached them.

'Where's Teek?' he asked.

'He wants to be alone,' Nick told him. 'He had a bit of a rough time.' Drake ignored Nick's suggestion and walked onto the bus anyway. He saw Teek sat in the front passenger seat, completely still. Drake sat down next to him.

'You alright?' he asked. Teek looked over to him.

'Have you killed someone before?' he asked.

'Sure,' Drake answered. 'We all have. We survive by killing zombies.' A tear fell down Teek's face.

'Well not me,' he said. 'I've never killed someone. Not before today. And he weren't no zombie.' Teek exhaled and closed his eyes. Drake, unable to think of something to say, merely held his hand caringly.

Coach met with Norah who excitedly hugged him.

'We're getting our home back?' she asked.

'Sure are,' Coach smiled. He looked over at Rochelle and Norah hopped on the spot slightly.

'She's defiantly sticking around.'

'Good,' Coach grinned. 'The old family's back together again.'

Coach was happy that Rochelle was staying. He was also happy that Teek was staying, at least for the time being. Having lost his real family to the infection, he knew it was important to stay close to the people you could trust. He was in the fortunate position of being surrounded by these honest, trustworthy people. Bill, however, realised as he and Oliver walked through the halls of the mansion that he was suddenly forced in the awkward position of being surrounded by people who he did not trust. He also knew that they did not trust him.

Something bad was going to happen. It was only a matter of time.


	5. City of the Dead

_**The Midnight Riders**_

Chapter Three – City of the Dead

The city of New Bern in North Carolina was pleasant to look at from the outside. In summer the leaves on the trees were always a lush green and the waters were constantly a beautiful, deep blue. From the outside the dazzling scenic views were perfectly picturesque while from the inside the people were always pleasant and everything ran smoothly. This was before the infection struck the country turning ordinary men into bloodthirsty monsters and making cities destroy themselves from the inside out. New Bern was not immune to the social decay and the citizens soon turned from being pleasant to being evil. The scenic views were soiled by fire, death and destruction. The blue waters became polluted and the leaves on the trees shrived and died. Like any other place in America, New Bern had become a city of the dead.

However in this dead city there was a source of light, a beacon of hope for anyone who could see it. Oliver Rooney, a man of generous wealth, had converted his mansion and surrounding gardens into a small town. His community within a city was open to anyone who wished to join. To be accepted into the Clan to appreciate the numerous benefits it had to offer such as excellent healthcare, the person would have to join the Clan and work for Oliver Rooney. What he said was law and if someone were to disobey his law then they were removed from the Clan and stripped of all of the luxuries they had access to.

Bill and the others were about to experience the consequences of not obeying the law as they say around Madison who was lying in a hospital bed. She was bruised and bandaged after Bill accidentally ran her over but she appeared to be relatively comfortable considering the circumstances. Malcolm was sat next to her bed chatting quietly with her while Bill and the others were pulled aside by one of Oliver's assistants who led them out into the gardens.

The gardens were well maintained with vibrant flowers, immaculately pruned hedges and several small ponds decorating the area. It was calm and relaxing. Oliver was stood by one of the ponds, staring at his own reflection. He turned around when his assistant dropped off Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey. He eyed them each very closely before he started speaking with a clear tone, one of authority.

'My physicians tell me that Madison is going to be absolutely fine.' Zoey breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the news. It was when Oliver said the next word that her face fell and became slightly concerned. 'However, she requires bed rest for a few weeks to fully recover.'

'A few weeks?' Louis repeated, completely disbelieving.

'Of course she can't recover on the road with you lot,' Oliver continued. 'She needs to rest with us, here.'

'You'll let her?' Francis queried.

'Of course we will,' Oliver smiled. 'However you are going to have to work for it.'

'Excuse me?' Bill questioned.

'Well in order to enjoy the facilities we have here you need to be part of our Clan,' Oliver explained. 'Now being a part of my Clan is a lot like being employed. You do a job and you get rewarded. Your rewards will come in the shape of your friend's medical care and security while she recovers. Of course we have already treated her so technically you owe us.'

'What if we refuse?' Bill asked. Zoey hit him in the arm.

'Bill!' she whispered.

'No, it's quite alright,' Oliver held up his hand. 'To be blunt; if you don't do what I ask then you will be removed from my sight. You will be left to fend for yourselves while treating a heavily injured woman.' Everyone turned to Bill who was looking glum. Madison's current condition was his fault and he felt guilty about it. He wanted to do whatever he could to help her but at the same time they could not get too involved in the politics of the new world. Their mission was to find Norah Hanham and they were already vastly behind schedule. With Rex's death they were also one man down before the mission had truly begun and so they were also at a great disadvantage. Losing any more people would put them at a greater disadvantage. While they could not get too involved with any survivors, their mere presence in Oliver Rooney's Haven was involvement enough to warrant changing tactics.

'We'll join your Clan,' Bill decided. The reactions of his fellow teammates were mixed from Francis' look of incredulity to Zoey's appreciative nod.

'I suspected you would,' Oliver's eyes narrowed and his tone deepened. He felt even more superior than he had done before.

'What work do you want us to do?' Francis muttered. 'Cooking? Cleaning?'

'Actually I would rather utilize your talents rather than stick you in some menial job,' Oliver told him. 'I want you to do what you're good at; making your way though the infected nightmare that is the outside world.'

'Okay...'Bill was unclear to what Oliver actually wanted them to do, much like the rest of them were. 'So what is it you want us to do?'

'I want you to go to New York City,' Oliver told him. A collective look of uncertainty fell over everyone. 'I believe your talents will prove to be quite useful there.'

...

The Midnight Riders tour bus repairs were coming along nicely. With the replacement bus that Coach was able to procure from the impound yard, the restorations were being completed faster than the initial one month appraisal. Ellis and John the mechanic were working around the clock to make everything as good as new. The others, meanwhile, did not have that much to do in comparison and were enjoying the rare leisure time that they had. While Norah decided to sunbathe in the nice weather and while Drake and Teek went off to have a walk around and while Danielle sat with Coach and talked for hours on end, Nick was sat alone by a small stream. As the water trickled past at a gentle pace, Nick felt relaxed, happy and contented. Little did he know that his solitude was about to be disturbed by Rochelle who was approaching his little spot holding a rolled up towel in her arms.

'This seat taken?' she asked, rolling the towel out beside him. Nick looked around to protest but saw that Rochelle was dressed in a bikini. The sun shone gloriously off her smooth caramel skin. As she leant over to straighten the towel, Nick got a clear view of her cleavage. Wanting to be a gentleman he tried to look away but found himself drawn to the sight before his eyes. 'Didn't think so,' Rochelle smiled as she sat down next to him, lying on her back and stretching out. Nick had never really noticed before but Rochelle's body was quite toned. It must have been due to all of the work she did fighting the infected. Everyone's fitness was improving because of it. That was one of the few benefits of the infection; the survivors became fitter.

As Rochelle lay there absorbing the sunrays, she glanced over to Nick who was staring ahead at the stream. The current had become slightly stronger.

'You alright, Nicky?' she asked. 'You're really quiet.'

'I'm fine,' Nick told her, crossing his legs. 'I was just in my own little world.'

'Oh, I'm sorry!' Rochelle sat up. 'Would you like me to leave?' Nick considered her request for a moment.

'No, you're alright.'

'Oh good,' Rochelle made herself comfortable again. 'I was hoping I could have a chance to talk with you, actually.'

'Oh really?' Nick shuffled on the spot. 'What about?'

'You know, stuff. When I was away I actually missed you.'

'Really?' Nick looked away from the stream, closing his eyes.

'Really,' Rochelle nodded. 'I know you probably weren't thinking about me...'

'Oh you left an impression,' Nick commented, forcing his legs closer together.

'A good one or a bad one?' Nick did not answer. 'Well I was hoping that we could get back to the way things were before. You know, before I pulled the gun on you.'

'That sounds wonderful,' Nick sighed.

'Really?' Rochelle touched Nick's hand. 'That's great, I'm so happy you said that! You don't know what this means to me.' Nick closed his eyes and tried to think about something unpleasant. When he opened his eyes once more he found it as the water in the stream had suddenly turned red. Frowning, he looked upstream and saw something in the distance.

'What's that?' he muttered, taking his hand away from Rochelle's and getting out his pistol. Rochelle looked up at him, concerned.

'What is what?' she asked, sitting up. Noticing he had his weapon equipped, Rochelle suddenly looked very anxious. 'Nick?' Rochelle promptly got to her feet and wrapped the towel around herself. Nick continued edging forward along the stream with Rochelle now standing close behind. As they turned a corner they saw a small formation of rocks by the stream. Walking around the rocks, Nick suddenly saw what was causing the water to turn red. A corpse was hidden away by the rocks. The body did not appear to be of someone infected. Rochelle sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. 'Shit.'

...

At the apex of a grand apartment building in New York City lived a woman named Cassandra Rooney. She was a powerful person, just like Oliver, however she was powerful in different ways. While Oliver used his money and status to get what he wanted, Cassandra was able to use much more subtle means of achieving her goals. She was adept at convincing people that they wanted the same things that she did. She was proficient when dealing with people who were against her. She was clever in the way she thought things through, keeping one step ahead of the competition. This is how she found herself in her current situation. Cassandra Rooney was the leader of her own Clan in New York City. The people she surrounded herself with were quite diverse and had special skills. Combined together it was these people that were able to keep her alive during the infection crisis. While uniquely distinct, each of Cassandra's people shared one thing in common; their blind loyalty to her. However as time went on this loyalty began to fade and it was not long before Cassandra realised that she would soon be in an impossible situation. This is why she sent a messenger out of New York City toward Oliver in New Bern, asking for immediate help.

'If this woman is so special to you,' Francis asked, 'then why the hell have you not gone to help her earlier?'

'Two reasons,' Oliver explained. 'The first and foremost one being; New York is an absolute quagmire.'

When the infection first afflicted the United States, New York City was completely decimated. Due to the population number and variance, the quantity of special infected on the streets was staggeringly high. Tanks, Chargers, Smokers, Hunters, Jockeys, Spitters, Boomers, Soarers and Witches all outnumbered the common infected. With the labyrinth of subway and sewer tunnels, they were able to spread all over the city and essentially made it a no-go place for any survivors. If someone were to set foot in New York City they would most likely lose it.

'The other reason is that I've not been able to find a team of people skilled enough to go in there,' Oliver continued, smiling at them. 'Until now.'

'Let me get this straight,' Zoey stepped forward. 'In order for you to keep on helping Madison, you're going to make us go toward almost certain death to rescue someone who is most likely dead already?'

'Cassandra is not dead,' Oliver told her.

'If you got that message a few months ago then she probably is,' Francis said grimly.

'I have faith in her,' Oliver said. 'Now it is not your place to argue with me. So are you going to join my Clan or are you going to leave?' There was a moment of silence and uncertainty.

'We'll join you,' Bill said finally. Oliver narrowed his eyes with delight.

'I know,' he whispered softly. 'I know.' Oliver's attitude was beginning to make everyone feel very uncomfortable. 'So then, let's discuss the plan!'

...

The body that Nick and Rochelle were looking at was of a man in his late forties. It appeared that he had been stabbed repeatedly in the stomach.

'What do we do?' Rochelle turned to Nick.

'I don't know!' he cried. 'It's not often that I see a body and think about what to do.'

'If anyone sees us here they won't even care if we're just innocent bystanders; they'll instantly blame us and we'll have a riot on our hands.'

'That's not good,' Nick agreed. 'What do we do?'

'Didn't I just ask you that?' The two exchanged glances. 'We need to move him.' Rochelle removed her towel and wrapped it around the corpse.

'Are you insane?'

'We'll move him back to the garage,' Rochelle suggested. 'Then we can think of a plan of what to do with him.'

'And no one will think it's suspicious us carrying a body wrapped in a towel?'

'That's why we wrap it good!' Rochelle sighed and brushed some hair from her face. 'Damn it Nick are you with me or not?' Nick hesitated for a moment, pausing to consider all options. Seeing that there was very little that he could do, he knelt down and helped Rochelle conceal the body before lifting it up. He carried it by the legs and she carried it by the head. The two walked in the direction of the garage.

After Rochelle looked around corners to make sure that there would be as few witnesses as possible, the two hurried toward the garage. As they reached it they saw that there was no one inside. Sneaking through, Rochelle and Nick hurried toward the newer tour bus that was being stripped for scraps. Sneaking on inside with no one seeing them, Rochelle dropped the body in the middle of the little walkway.

'Why the hell are we doing this?' Nick asked. 'It's as if we murdered him.'

'Well in the eyes of anyone who would have seen us with it, we might as well have,' Rochelle sighed, running her hands through her hair. 'Where can we hide it?'

'It's gonna start smelling ripe pretty soon,' Nick hissed. 'We need to bury it... him. _Him_.'

'He... it can't hear us!' Rochelle's hushed voice was becoming very strained and she let out a cough.

'Ro? That you?' Rochelle and Nick exchanged insane looks of fright as they heard Ellis' voice. The mechanic had just stepped into the garage and was making his way toward the spare bus. Inside Rochelle and Nick looked around frantically for inspiration to solve their problem.

Ellis went up the steps and looked into the bus just as Nick went into the bathroom, holding onto the body. He looked at Rochelle's state of dress and turned away, blushing slightly.

'Hey,' he muttered.

'Hi, sweetie,' Rochelle grinned at him. Her glance drifted to the side and saw Nick struggling with the body. A foot slipped out into sight and she flapped her arms at him to conceal it. Kicking the foot away, Rochelle stepped toward Ellis, blocking the view of the bathroom. 'What's up?'

'Why are you naked?' Ellis asked.

'Oh this?' Rochelle laughed nervously. 'I'm not naked. I'm tanning!'

'In the garage?' Ellis peeked around before forcing himself to look away.

'Well... yes,' Rochelle attempted to fabricate a lie. 'I was tanning but then I came in here to...' Words failed her. She stepped forward once more and did the only thing that she thought would work. 'I came here to see you.'

Ellis' gaze went from embarrassment to shock. Rochelle made him look at her as she put her hands on his shoulders.

'Y-you wanted to see me?' Ellis repeated. 'Like that?'

'Yes, sweetie,' Rochelle pulled Ellis away and turned him around so he was not facing the direction of the bathroom. 'When I was away all I could think about was you.'

'Really?'

'Yes,' Rochelle attempted to sound sultry. 'I was stuck in a rut and I... _needed to get out_. But I couldn't.' She glanced behind to see if Nick was moving. 'I was afraid of _moving forward_ and _getting caught_. But I can see now that the _coast was clear_ and... I wanted to... _pass right by_ you, Ellis.'

'You wanted to see me so you could pass me by?' Ellis' understandable confusion was lost to Rochelle as she saw Nick silently tiptoeing behind Ellis so he could slip out of the door. Ellis moved to turn around but Rochelle grabbed a hold of him tightly and pulled him toward her, locking their lips in a kiss. She stuck to Ellis' face as long as it took for Nick to skulk out of the bus. He shot her a disbelieving glance as he paused at the exit but Rochelle hurriedly waved him away. As he stepped down the stairs, she pulled away from Ellis.

'I'm so sorry,' she said with embarrassment. 'I didn't mean to throw myself on you like that, it must have been uncomfortable for you.'

'I was sorta sudden,' Ellis admitted.

Nick was about to set one foot outside when he looked over and saw Coach and Danielle enter the garage. He turned around and went back up the stairs.

'I won't do it again,' Rochelle promised Ellis. 'I don't want thing to be weird between us.' She saw Nick's head popping up again and pulled Ellis close to her once more for another distracting kiss. As she diverted Ellis' attention, she glared at Nick a questioning gaze. Nick mouthed that Coach and Danielle were coming and Rochelle's expression became more desperate. They were also headed for the bus. Nick went to hide once again in the bathroom. He ducked away just in time as Coach and Danielle stepped onto the bus.

'This is a nice one but it's just not home, you know?' Coach was saying. He stopped speaking when he saw Rochelle and Ellis. Rochelle stepped away from him.

'Oh my God,' she muttered. Ellis turned around, his face flushed with embarrassment.

'Jesus, girl!' Coach cried. 'You move quick!'

'Coach!' Danielle scolded. 'Let's give them some privacy!' She hurried off the bus.

'Oh God...' Ellis muttered.

'I'm so sorry,' Rochelle put her hand on his shoulder.

'If I'd have known you had these feelin's for me then I'da done somethin' ages ago!'

'Excuse me?' Rochelle muttered quickly, not sure she heard him right. Ellis turned to her and took her hands.

'Ro I know this ain't the most romantic'a circumstances but... hell I've been thinking about you and me being together every night before I go to bed for the past few months!'

'Oh dear God,' Coach looked away and followed Danielle off the bus.

'Ellis...' Rochelle held back her mortified face. 'That's so... sweet of you.'

'So now we can be together for real?' Ellis grinned enthusiastically. Rochelle glanced over to the bathroom and swallowed hard. Putting on a false smile she responded the only way she could thing of.

'Sure,' she spoke with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. 'Why not?'

'Hot dang!' Ellis cried, pulling Rochelle close in an embrace. 'This is so great. We can be a perfect couple! I gotta go tell everyone! I wonder how Nick'll react?' As Ellis jumped off the bus, Rochelle sighed to herself, glancing over toward the bathroom.

'Oh I suspect he already knows...'

...

The plan was a simple one, in principle. Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey would travel to New York while Malcolm would stay behind to look after Madison. Oliver had arranged to have someone transport them to New York by boat, the safest method as there were few infected that could attack out at sea. When they reached Manhattan, they were to proceed on foot to the building where Cassandra was living in, find her, bring her back to the boat and take her back to Oliver. Indeed the plan was simple in principle but Miguel was finding numerous ways to pick it apart as they were headed toward the city.

'I can't believe you actually agreed to do this,' he cried over the radio. 'The weapons I have here on the Jaeger could destroy that mansion easily; I could have made a distraction for you all to get out.'

'This isn't a situation that can be fixed by blowing stuff up,' Bill told him. 'Anyway he doesn't know about the sub and I think he believed my story so you don't have anything to worry about. We'll just go in, grab the girl and come out. Simple.'

'Well I'm following you guys,' Miguel said. 'I'll be positioned just short of Manhattan in case you need anything.'

'That's sweet,' Bill said sarcastically. He looked over and saw Francis stepping out on the boat's deck to talk to him. 'I gotta go.' Bill disconnected the radio and turned to him. 'What's up?'

'Are you sure we're doing the right thing?' Francis asked.

'Of course,' Bill took out a cigarette and lit it with his lighter. 'Why, don't you think we are?'

'Well this Oliver guy,' Francis voiced his thoughts, 'he's like the third person we've met out here. The other two were insane loonies who tried to kill us.'

'They did kill one of us,' Bill corrected him. Francis sighed and nodded.

'The point is; can we trust him?'

'Of course we can't trust him!' Bill took the cigarette from his mouth. 'We're dealing with a man who has benefited from all this zombie bullshit. Men like that are not the types of men to be trusted.'

'Then why are we here?' Francis asked. Bill sighed.

'Because we've been forced into this position,' he explained. 'He has what we want. When we get this girl, we will have what he wants.'

'I see,' Francis nodded. Bill put the cigarette back between his lips.

'Anyway we'll be there soon so it's a little late to be having second thoughts right now.'

Bill was right. Zoey called out to both of them, summoning them to the bow of the vessel. Bill and Francis went there and looked in awe as they stood there with Zoey and Louis, staring at the skyline ahead of them.

New York City. The lights that usually sparkled in the tall skyscrapers had been extinguished, leaving only bleak silhouettes that tore into the sky. The hustle and bustle of lively activity on the streets had been smothered by an eerie quiet and stillness that was almost deafening to hear. The overall liveliness had eclipsed by death. It was a surreal sight, one that chilled Zoey down to the bone. Louis and Francis were speechless as they approached it and Bill's mouth opened and his cigarette fell to the floor.

'I'll be God damned,' he muttered.

The small boat pulled into one of the abandoned docks and the four disembarked. Looking up at the dead city they each loaded their guns.

'Just like the old days,' Francis commented.

'Except now we know what we're doing,' Louis added. 'This'll be a piece of cake.' With that, a loud roar echoed deep within the concrete jungle and Zoey shot him an angry glare.

'You just had to say something, didn't you?' she hit him in the arm.

'Come on people,' Bill cocked his gun. 'Looks like we've got someone else waiting for us.' His eyes narrowed as he stared ahead. 'Let's not keep them waiting.'

Taking one step forward, Bill led the others into New York City. As Miguel watched on the display, he ran his hands through his hair, sighing. He stood up and went into the bridge.

'Make sure we're close enough to lend a helping hand,' he told the helmsman. As the crewman acknowledged the order, Miguel went back into the Tactics Room and once again felt completely useless.

Back inside Oliver's mansion complex, Madison was slowly waking up. Her eyes opened, squinting with disorientation. Malcolm looked over to her and smiled.

'How are you feeling?' he asked her.

'Like shit,' Madison answered. 'It's my own fault though... Where are the others?'

'Perhaps I could answer that question?' Oliver stepped into the room. 'How do you do? I'm Oliver Rooney, we've not had a chance to be introduced.' Oliver glanced to Malcolm. 'Would you mind if we had a chance to speak in private?'

'Oh,' Malcolm stood up. 'Sure...' He gave Madison a tender glance before leaving her alone with Oliver, who sat down in the chair next to her.

'I'm glad we can finally speak to each other,' Oliver told her. 'I've wanted to see how you were doing for a while.'

'Where am I?' Madison asked.

'Where do you think you are?' was his response. Madison wanted to guess that she was in the infirmary of the submarine.

'A hospital?' she said instead of what she actually thought.

'Sort of,' Oliver sat forward, not getting the answer that he wanted. His hand went over to one of the nearby medical machines and started pushing a button, administering painkillers into her system. 'I own this place and all of the surrounding land. If people join my group then they are allowed access to everything.'

'I'm not a part of your group though?' Madison muttered.

'Your four friends have joined on your behalf,' Oliver told her. 'They're currently running an errand for me but they should be back soon.'

'Good,' Madison sighed, becoming slightly weary. 'We need to move on...'

'You can stay as long as you like,' Oliver smiled. 'As long as you earn your keep, of course.'

'We... need to move...'

'And why is that?' Oliver leant in close. Madison remained silent, irritating him slightly. He decided to change tactics. 'So why have I never seen you around before?'

'We just came from somewhere else,' Madison said in her disorientated state, prompting an intrigued reaction from Oliver.

'Where did you come from?' Oliver asked her, leaning closer. He spoke in a whisper. 'Come on, Madison. Where are you really from?' Madison shuffled in her bed. 'Where do you all come from?'

'Across the country,' Madison lied. Oliver sat back in sudden disappointment. He was certain that they had come from abroad somewhere. Preparing to leave, he went to sit up when something struck him suddenly. Madison said that they had come from across the country whereas Bill said they had come from a secret research lab in the nearby mountains. He doubted that Madison would be able to lie in her delirious condition and so he stood up.

'Thank you,' he told her. 'You've given me just what I wanted.' Oliver left leaving with what he had come for; something to confirm his doubt.

...

With the evening dark, Rochelle and Nick had once again jumped into action. As most of their group gathered in the tour bus to check out Drake's fancy new knife collection that he and Teek had just purchased, they managed to sneak the body out of the other bus and threw it on the bonfire in the centre of the Haven before it was ignited. Buried deep within the rubbish and wood, the corpse would be cremated leaving no evidence of anything. However, Nick was quite quiet as he and Rochelle walked back toward the garage after they saw the bonfire go up for the evening of festivities.

'You okay, bud?' Rochelle tapped him on the arm.

'We just covered up a murder,' Nick muttered. 'How can you not be feeling the same way that I do?'

'Sorry,' Rochelle held her hands up defensively. 'We stumble across the corpse in the middle of a small community of irritable, jumpy and paranoid people and you think the best thing to do would be to announce that fact? They would all believe we did it and we'd be the ones on that bonfire right now, not the body.' Nick did not answer. 'It's been a year and people are still killing each other because they think that their friend is turning. If they think that we killed someone who is not a zombie then there'd be no reasoning with them, they'd just act. Hell; it's as if the infection did more to people than just turn them into zombies.'

'What about justice?' Nick asked her. 'A guy is dead and we've covered it up so the person who did it is just going to get away with it.'

'Sweetie,' Rochelle touched Nick's wrist with her fingers. 'We don't even know who he was so there's not a whole lot we can do for him.'

'That's not true,' Nick went into his pocket and pulled out a wallet. 'He had this on him.' Rochelle stopped, rooted to the spot. She snatched the wallet from his grasp.

'Are you insane?' she spat. 'If someone is looking for him and sees us with this...'

'His name is James Holland,' Nick told her. 'According to his driving licence, anyway. I wonder why people still keep this junk. I never did.'

'Yes well you had numerous forged items of identification,' Rochelle pointed out. 'Okay so we know his name. What can we do with it?'

'What I was thinking is if we can somehow track him down to where he lives or what Clan he belongs to then we could find out who murdered him.'

'That's a pretty big if,' Rochelle sighed, flicking through the wallet. 'All of the stuff in here relates to his life before, there's nothing about the now.'

'We could go back to where we found him?' Nick suggested. 'We could maybe find some clues.'

'Hey,' Rochelle held up her hand. 'We're not going all Grissom and Catherine CSI here.'

'There's no harm in just having a look around,' Nick insisted. 'We'd be doing the right thing. Especially since we, you know, covered it up.' Rochelle rolled her eyes.

'You're not going to let this go, are you?' Nick shook his head her. 'If the bus was getting fixed anytime soon then I'd hope that we could just ride away from this problem but since you want to be a sentimental ninny then fine! Let's go checkout the "crime scene".'

'Thanks,' Nick smiled at her, leading the way toward the small stream. After a moment he gave her a strange look. 'Did you just call me a ninny?'

Upon arriving at the location that they had found the body, Rochelle and Nick spread out to canvass the area. They closely examined the rocks that the body was stuffed in. They glanced over the surrounding grassy areas. They checked out the slow running stream. After ten minutes of investigation they had come up with absolutely nothing.

'There's jack here,' Rochelle stated. 'Let's go back. They'll be wondering where we are.'

'I suppose we'd better go,' Nick agreed, looking cheekily to Rochelle. 'We don't want your new boyfriend to think that we're up to no good.'

'Okay I did what I had to do to make sure he didn't see you!' Rochelle insisted. 'Don't be a dick.'

'It's pretty funny, though,' Nick chuckled. 'I mean out of all of the things you could have done, you kissed him and blurt out that you love him?'

'I never said I loved him,' Rochelle held up her finger, pointing at Nick. 'Besides better me than you in that position.'

'Oh, I dunno,' Nick folded his arms and stood back, looking up into the sky. 'I reckon I could have thought of something a lot more...' He glanced back down to Rochelle. 'Dignified.' She kicked him in the shin and walked around him as he rubbed his leg, still chuckling. As he bent down to feel his forming bruise, something in the distance caught his eye. Just ahead in the darkness was something shiny. 'Rochelle,' he called out.

'I'm not talking to you,' Rochelle continued walking ahead.

'I think I've found something!' Turning around, Rochelle saw Nick walking forward. He went through the shallow stream and into the night.

'Don't go too far,' Rochelle cautioned. 'There are zombies out there...' There was a brief moment of silence. 'Nick?' Nick emerged from the darkness holding a thick, stylish hunting knife. The handle was decorated with various Chinese symbols while the blade was coated in dried blood. 'I'll be God damned...'

...

The sight of New York from a distance was nothing compared to the sight deep within the city. Everything was dark and the tall buildings felt like they were falling in on you. The streets were impassable to any vehicles as abandoned cars were on the roads and paths. As Bill led the team forward, he noticed that there were fewer infected around than he had initially thought. Most of the aggression had come from Hunters and Smokers. Up in the tall buildings, a Smoker had a perfect shot to snare someone and due to the darkness, not get shot. The only light came from the group's tiny flashlights. However as they turned a corner they each saw something in the far distance; a building with light coming from the rooftop.

'I guess that's where we need to be,' Zoey shrugged. Their destination was quite close to the MetLife building, whose shadow hung menacingly over it. As they pressed on, Bill held up his hand signalling the others to stop.

'What is it?' Louis asked.

'Listen,' Bill whispered. Everyone tried to listen in the darkness. There was a faint sound in the distance of rumbling.

'Damn! You're an old man!' Louis exclaimed. 'How did you hear that?'

'He probably felt it,' Francis muttered, sounding slightly worried, pointing at something on the ground with his light. Everyone looked down and saw tiny pieces of debris on the ground vibrating.

'Everyone move,' Bill ordered.

The four hurried forward as the vibrations became stronger. It was a constant rumble, not the sudden crash of a footstep. As they climbed over dead cars to hasten their advance there was a large crashing sound up ahead and the light in the building appeared to go out. However it was an illusion as it was so dark, no one could see the large passenger bus get launched into the air and come crashing down once more. It smashed through the cars as it rolled across the street. Bill ushered everyone to move forward quickly. They crossed the street as the rumbling sound became even more intense. Bill directed everyone to head into an alley on the other side of the road. As they hurried over there, the vibrations got more violent and the crashing sounds came closer. It was when Francis, who was the first person to make it to the alleyway, stopped to wait for the others there came the loud roar. The echoing cry was one not heard before and sounded like an oversized animal of some kind. The sound was enough motivation to make everyone jump into the alley as quick as they could. Turning off their flashlights, they waited as the monster passed by.

'Miguel,' Bill spoke into the radio. 'Do you see this?'

In the Tactics Room, Miguel was beside himself as he looked at the display. A few blocks away from their location was a large heat signature. It was almost as wide as the road and as tall as three stories. He could not believe what he was seeing.

'I think I see it,' Miguel answered. 'And it's big.'

'How big?' Bill asked. Miguel swallowed.

'Too big to fight.' Bill shared looks of fright with the others.

'Can you kill it?' Zoey asked. 'Launch one of your missiles or something?'

'It needs to be in a more open area or else I may hit one of the buildings.'

'Lure the big beastie to Central Park to kill it?' Francis mused. 'Piece of cake.'

'We're not going to kill it,' Bill told him. 'We're going to avoid it.'

'That thing is running right behind your building,' Miguel informed them.

'Move out!' Bill ordered. Everything around them was shaking as they ran forward through the alley. Emerging back out on the street, they continued heading forward toward another alleyway. Louis glanced to the left to see the path that the infected had left behind. He was intrigued to see that all of the cars were still there and had not been crushed or pushed out of the way. It was as if nothing had gone over them. Deciding to share this later, he continued running while Miguel stood up from the table and put and went into the bridge.

'Get our weapons ready to fire.'

As the others emerged from another alley they ran into an unexpected problem. On the ground in front of them lay a Witch who was looking very upset at being disturbed. It started screaming at Zoey but before anyone could do anything, Francis kicked it in the head and the Witch flew through the open door of a taxi. As it climbed to get out, Louis shut the door behind it but knowing that it would not keep the Witch at bay for long, decided to start running. They all went away from the taxi and ran along the streets so that when the Witch did break free they would be able to use the vehicles as cover. As they got back on the road that they were heading through originally, a small car in the distance was tossed into the air. Up ahead were three Tanks and they each noticed the four heading toward them.

'Now there's something you don't see every day,' Louis commented. A Smoker's tongue suddenly wrapped around his body and dragged him away. The Tanks were storming toward them so acting fast, Zoey threw a Molotov at the infected to halt their advance. Francis was able to grab onto Louis and cut the tongue off him using his knife. Louis fell to the ground but as Francis helped him up, he pulled him down close to him so he would avoid being hit by the flaming car that was launched by one of the Tanks. Bill began firing at them but his bullets did little damage and only aggravated the infected even further. As they continued shunting their way through the cars, the Tanks got closer and closer. They had managed to avoid the flames caused by Zoey and appeared to be working together, spreading out to box them in. It was working as the only direction that did not have a Tank was back.

'This way,' Francis announced to Bill and Zoey. Louis had kicked open a shop door and ran through it toward the back rooms. The others soon followed and Bill was the last one in just as a Tank made a swipe for him. He ran forward and went up some stairs the led the upper floors. The Tanks were in dedicated pursuit, crashing through walls to chase after them. Soon, however, the stairs ran out and they could only go through the building. The furthest point away from the Tanks was a window that led to the fire escape. Louis climbed out onto it and saw another fire escape across the alley that went up to the roof of the adjacent building. The gap looked jumpable and not having much of a choice except to head back down, he jumped the gap and landed on the other fire escape. Francis followed Louis' drift and was helped up by his friend after he jumped. Zoey was caught by Louis and pulled to safety. Bill was the last one and he hesitated before jumping. Glancing back at the oncoming Tanks, he decided to take a deep breath and jump with all his might. However, as he jumped the Tanks crashed through the wall behind him, messing up his push. Bill fell and extended his hand but was not caught by the others. Falling to the ground, he made a final mad grab for something. His efforts were not in vain as he managed to grab a secure hold on one of the railings closer to the ground. As the Tanks fell to their deaths, Bill tried to pull himself up as the others went down to help him.

Another Smoker emerged from around the corner on the street and saw Bill hanging there. Its tongue went straight for him. Zoey let out a cry as it wrapped around his body and started tugging. Bill was still able to hold onto the rails and he did so for dear life but with each tug he felt his grip loosening. Zoey and the Louis ran down to help him, with Francis staying up to use his sniper rifle to take out the Smoker. A few floors away from Bill, Zoey ran past a window that had a Spitter peering out of it. Stopping with fright just past the window, he pause made Louis stop in front of the window. He glanced through the glass and saw the infected. He was able to dive out of the way as the acidic substance went flying, eating away at the fire escape. Bill's grasp weakened further with the fire escape's structural insecurity. Francis took his shot and the Smoker fell dead. The Spitter emerged from the window but Louis kicked it off over the side of the rails, it landing on the ground. A large acidic puddle formed where it had landed underneath the fire escape. As Bill dangled there, the Smoker tongue fell from him as dissolved in the acid.

With a loud creak, the fire escape dropped a little. Bill was now hanging onto it with one hand, glancing down at what would be a horrible death. Unable to continue running down, Zoey climbed out on the other side of the rails and went down to help Bill. Unable to move forward, Louis was forced to go back up with Francis. Zoey reached Bill's level and helped him up. With another loud bang, the entire fire escape felt like it was about to collapse. They dived through the nearest window. Francis and Louis did the same and they each made it to safety before the fire escape fell into a twisted heap of metal.

'Reconvene on the rooftop,' Bill ordered. He and Zoey stood and moved forward toward the stairs. As they entered the stairwell the presence of a Charger halted their advance. A few floors above, Francis and Louis entered the stairwell and ran all the way toward the rooftop. The Charger had other plans for Zoey and Coach, forcing them back out as it ran for them. Running through the building's corridor, the two saw the doors to an elevator up ahead. Instinctively, Zoey pressed on the button when she reached it. It was only when Bill pulled her out of the way did she realise that this was a bad idea. The Charger rammed into the doors, pushing them out and sending them down through the elevator shaft. It looked over at Bill and Zoey and continued the pursuit. The two ran into an open apartment and looked back as the Charger followed them. They fired a few shots each, confusing the monster so that they were able to run around it. Back in the corridor, the two ran past the elevator shaft until Zoey stopped. The Charger emerged from the room and saw Bill jump into the shaft. It followed and ran into it with all its might. The infected slammed into the wall of the shaft at full speed, sending vibrations through the entire building. The stopped elevator compartment shook violently above Zoey and Bill who were climbing the service ladder. The compartment fell a little bit before stopping.

Wondering what else could go wrong, Zoey climbed up and stopped by the elevator. She climbed onto the underside of it where a small hole left by a Spitter allowed her to get inside. What she did not know was that the Spitter was still inside and went to kill her. Fortunately, Zoey was able to kick it away before it launched its acid and blasted it with her gun. As the acid pooled out of the infected, it began wearing away the supports that were keeping the elevator from falling. Bill climbed into the compartment and looked up at the roof access hatch. He shot it open and jumped up, climbing onto the roof. The entire elevator shook and Bill grabbed the ladder for support. He extended his hand out to Zoey who was stumbling around the compartment. Yelling at her to grab his hand, Zoey positioned herself under the opening and prepared to jump. With a loud creaking sound, the elevator trembled once again. She looked up at Bill and jumped. As her feet left the floor, the entire compartment fell around her and crashed down toward the ground floor where the Charger was standing up just in time to look up and see the metal box crash into it. Bill assisted Zoey as she grabbed the ladder and the two began climbing up toward the rooftop where Francis and Louis were waiting.

'What's taking them so long?' Francis wondered as he and Louis stood there. The elevator doors behind them were suddenly pried open and Bill climbed up onto the roof along with Zoey.

'Sorry to keep you waiting,' Bill told them.

'We would have called but you can never get good reception in those things,' Zoey added. Sharing grins, the four glanced over toward their destination. It was still quite far away but now they had a new plan; to go over the rooftops.

'Let's go people,' Bill announced, not stopping for a break. The four continued on their journey.

...

Nick and Rochelle, unsure of what to do with the knife that they had found earlier had hidden it away in their bus and went back to be sociable with the others. The Midnight Riders tour bus was slowly looking more improved. As Ellis excitedly chatted away, he theorised that it would be fixed in less than a week. He continually shot flirtatious glances over to Rochelle who was forced to reciprocate since he had told everyone that they were now a couple. Drake and Teek offered some light teasing toward her while Norah and Danielle opted to sit back and wonder how it had happened. Coach was slightly disbelieving and as they all were sat in a circle around a moderate campfire, he decided to voice his thoughts.

'I never would have thought you two would end up together.'

'Excuse me?' Rochelle asked as the entire group fell silent, listening intently.

'Yeah,' Coach elaborated. 'I mean when we first met you and Nick were always flirting with each other. I guess I could just see you two getting together more easily than you and Ellis.' Rochelle narrowed her eyes at Coach who looked visibly gleeful at making her uncomfortable.

'Well, you know,' Rochelle spoke slowly, trying to think of an appropriate response. 'The heart wants what it wants...'

'It don't bother you none, does it?' Ellis looked to Nick. 'Us being together? I mean if you had feelin's or somethin' for her I'd back off cuz I don't wanna make things awkward.' Rochelle's eyes lit up and she looked over to Nick, thankful of the perfect opportunity she was presented to get out of this situation.

'Ellis,' Nick leant forward. 'Your relationship with Rochelle doesn't bother me in the slightest.' Her face fell. 'Nope, not one bit. As long as you're both completely honest with each other then you two will make an excellent couple.' Ellis grinned and held out his hand to Nick. The two shared a handshake as Rochelle buried her face in her palms. Out the corner of her eye, she saw Nick wink cheekily at her.

'Well let's change the subject,' Norah suggested. 'You two are making the rest of us single people jealous.'

'No they're not,' Drake told her.

'So, Drake,' Norah spoke louder to interrupt him. 'What the hell possessed you to buy those knives? I mean it's not as if they can be used to slice up the zombies.'

'Well they could,' Teek corrected her. 'He just liked the look of them. Chinese automatically equals cool.'

Rochelle and Nick suddenly glanced to each other, sharing knowing looks.

'Chinese?' Nick repeated, looking to Teek. 'What do you mean?'

'They've got Chinese symbols on the blades and handles,' Drake elaborated. 'They're quite cool.'

'That guy robbed you blind,' Teek chuckled, standing up to get a drink. He was joined by Danielle.

'Who did you buy them from?' Rochelle asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

'His name was Frank,' Drake told her. 'He traded in that building just there, near the roof. I figured he wouldn't know how much they were really worth because he wasn't Chinese... I got a good deal, too, because one was missing from the set that I got.' As Drake continued to talk, Rochelle and Nick exchanged glances.

As the hour got late and people went to sleep, soon Nick and Rochelle were the only ones left around the dimming glow of the fire. Rochelle held the blood stained knife in her hands.

'So we think it's this Frank guy?' Nick asked.

'Well we know Drake didn't do it,' Rochelle sighed. 'He only got the knives today and James had been dead for quite a while.'

'Plus all those stab wounds would have made the killer very bloody,' Nick added.

'Also, I don't know Drake very well but I know that he's not a killer...' Rochelle muttered. 'Even if he does buy knife sets. Someone has to set that boy straight.'

'I think our parenting style should be examined after we decide what we should do about the body,' Nick said.

'What can we do?' Rochelle asked. 'We can't exactly throw him in prison, can we? The evidence we have on him could easily be thrown back in our faces. He sold the knives to Drake so he could say that he was the one who stabbed him.'

'So we can't bring him to justice?' Nick summarised. He stomped his foot on the ground. 'Damn...'

'Well we could bring him to justice,' Rochelle said slowly, looking up at Nick with a dark look in her eye. Nick knew what she was thinking and immediately objected.

'Kill him? No, no way! Unless you're forgetting; murder got us in this mess to start with!'

'Unless you're forgetting; you're the one who wanted to find out who did this.' Nick sighed as Rochelle threw his statement back in his face. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, thinking of what to do. 'The best thing we can do,' Rochelle spoke as if reading his thoughts, 'would be to punish him. An eye for an eye and all that.'

'Yeah,' Nick muttered. 'But an eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind.'

'You're having second thoughts about this?' Rochelle asked.

'The first time I killed someone, I felt like shit,' Nick told her. 'But you already knew that. That guy, on the roof, the one who was your secret spy partner or whatever. It was because of me that he died. Killing zombies is different because they're no longer human but... I don't think I could do it again. I don't think I could watch an actual person die.'

'Fine,' Rochelle stood up. 'Then I'll do it.' She marched around Nick and made her way toward where Frank was located. Nick immediately got up to follow her.

'You can't do this!' he protested.

'You were the one, Nick, who got these ideas of goodness and morality into my head. If someone has done something bad then they deserve a proper punishment.'

'Fine,' Nick began rambling. 'I take it back, then. We don't need to hurt him.'

'He needs to be taught a lesson.'

'You can't do this!'

'I can and I will.'

'This isn't fair!'

'Neither was what he did.'

'Rochelle, you can't just do whatever the hell you want!' Rochelle stopped walking with Nick's words and turned around, facing him.

'What did you say?'

'You can't just do what you want when you feel like it,' Nick repeated.

'And what the hell is that supposed to mean?'

'Well come on, Rochelle!' Nick cried. 'You leave us to go off and do your own thing, you come back as if nothing has ever happened, you cover up crimes, you toy with Ellis and now you're going off to kill somebody. You gotta stop!'

'I'm not doing this because I want to,' Rochelle stepped angrily toward Nick. 'I'm doing this because it's what has to be done.'

'Says who?'

'Says you!' Rochelle shouted. 'You think a year of all of these zombie hi-jinks has made you a better person? You think a year is enough time to erase all of the bad stuff you did in the past? Even if I did have good reason to do it, I did walk out on you guys but you can't act like you have the moral high ground because _you_ used to be a criminal and you're no better than anyone else, even if you try to be by saying you want to find out who killed this guy so he can be brought to justice.' Nick lowered his head and looked away. 'This land is lawless and the only controlling factor is luck and chance. Well I think Frank's luck has run out.'

'You don't need to do this,' Nick told her.

'I do,' Rochelle stepped close to him. 'I do because you know it's the right thing to do, only you just can't face doing it yourself.' She paused and swallowed, turning around to keep walking. 'So I'm going to have to do it for you.'

'You don't!' Nick repeated.

'Yes I do,' Rochelle glanced around at him. 'I need to do it for you or else we will...' As her eyes became watery, she swallowed her words, turned back and continued walking. Nick stood there, rooted to the spot. He watched Rochelle walk off into the darkness.

Rochelle stepped into the building and made her way to the upper floors. She found where Frank lived but found that he was nowhere to be seen. She asked someone where he was and she was directed to the rooftop. As she stepped out onto the roof she saw Frank sat in a lawn chair, gazing up into the sky. He was accompanied by two women who noticed Rochelle's arrival and appeared unhappy with it.

'Get lost,' she told them. The two girls begrudgingly moved away from Frank and went back inside the building. Frank, himself, stood up and looked Rochelle up and down. He was a tall, muscular man. Rochelle took out the bloody knife and held it up for Frank to see. 'Remember this?'

'You found the body then?' Frank guessed. 'How come the alarm hasn't been sounded?'

'Because I found the body, I would be the one who would be suspected.' Rochelle narrowed her eyes at him. 'We can't be having that.'

'So are you here to... what? Arrest me?' Frank paused. 'No, with that look in your eye you're planning on killing me, aren't you?'

'I would like to know why you did it,' Rochelle told him before shrugging. 'But yeah you're going to die.'

'Well you sure as hell seem sure of yourself,' Frank grinned. 'So did that guy when he thought he could steal from me.'

'Good reason,' Rochelle acknowledged.

'Indeed,' Frank nodded. 'I now have a good reason to kill you.'

Frank pulled out a handgun and began shooting at Rochelle who was able to jump out of the way and take cover behind an old air conditioner funnel. As Frank circled her cover to get a better shot, Rochelle jumped out and threw the knife at him. It went into his gun, knocking it aside. Wishing she had brought a firearm of her own, Rochelle got up and ran for him, jumping into the air as she got close. In the air, she extended her foot and kicked Frank backward. Landing on the ground, Rochelle began to deliver a steady volley of kicks and punches toward him. Frank was quite speedy, however and was able to block most of her blows. It was then Frank decided to give a few attacks of his own. He used his elbow to pushed Rochelle away before kicking her forcefully over the lawn chair. As he went to move around it, Rochelle kicked it toward it, stepped forward and stamped her foot on one side of it, causing the other to flick into the air and smacking him in the face. Frank angrily pushed the chair off his face and held onto it tight. Using it as an unconventional weapon, he beat Rochelle away with it. The lawn chair kept her a reasonable distance from him. As the two circled, Rochelle could see that Frank was circling his way toward the gun. She jumped forward, rolling on the ground to avoid the chair. Rolling forward onto her back, she kicked Frank in the groin, making him let go of what he was holding. Rochelle pushed the chair away as it fell toward her and she stood up and marched toward Frank who was close to the edge of the roof. Preparing a final strong punch, Rochelle thrust herself toward him, however her punch was slow and Frank was able to deflect it, wrapping his fingers around her fist. Seizing the upper hand, he twisted her wrist with one defensive blow, making her entire body twist around. Frank then wrapped his arm around Rochelle's neck and began strangling her.

Nick burst onto the rooftop through the door, aiming his gun at the two.

'Put her down!' he ordered.

'Keep pointing that thing at me and I'll snap her neck,' was Frank's response. There was a tense moment where nothing happened. Then, as Nick went to place the gun on the ground, Rochelle forced herself to bend down, making Frank partly exposed. Nick took the shot and got a bullet into his shoulder. Frank let go of Rochelle who rolled across the rooftop next to the knife. Taking it, she stood up, ran to Frank and plunged it into his stomach. Frank let out a gasp as the blade tore through his skin. Rochelle smiled at him and using her foot, pushed him away from her. Frank stumbled back and fell off the rooftop. As he crashed to the ground, Nick stood next to Rochelle and put his hand on her shoulder.

'You alright?' he asked. Rochelle nodded.

'Justice has been served,' she sighed. She turned to walk away but Nick stopped her. His hand still on her shoulder, he pulled her close toward him. Rochelle and Nick looked closely at each other for a moment before he pulled her closer and embraced her tightly.

'You don't ever have to prove anything to me,' he whispered in her ear. 'You know that?' A single tear fell from Rochelle's eye and she nodded in his shoulder. The two stood there for a long moment before heading back to the bus.

...

Their destination was just across the street. After climbing over the rooftops until the building they were after was just opposite the one they were on, the team went back down to street level. Aside from the abandoned vehicles, the road appeared empty. Bill, happy with their chances of making their way over to the other side without incident, led the others in moving forward. As they were halfway across, the vibrations started happening again. Bill looked down each end of the road to see what was causing it but there was nothing. Everyone struggled to stay on their feet as the vibrations were now so intense.

'Guys,' Miguel said worriedly. 'Get out of there! That thing is approaching you!' Everyone looked in every direction but saw nothing.

'Where?' Louis cried into the radio. He suddenly started to feel really warm, as did the others. 'There's nothing around us!' Zoey looked at the ground and saw a manhole cover shaking. It popped out of its hole.

'It's not around us...' she muttered to herself.

Less than fifty meters away, a large stretch of cars were suddenly pushed into the air. A large fissure had opened in the ground and from this split emerged something that they had never seen before. With muscled arms the size of tree trunks and the head the size of a flat screen television, the Burrower emerged from the ground. Its legs were as powerful as its arms; they were heavily muscled to allow it to tear through concrete. The monster squinted through the darkness at the four. It was as big as a small coach and was giving off a lot of heat. Bill stood back, unable to believe that something that size was able to produce that amount of noise and disturbance.

It was then when another Burrower emerged from the fissure. And then another, followed by another. More of the creatures joined them on the surface and Zoey let out a shriek. With its powerful arms, one of them smashed a car toward them. They immediately dived away and the four ran into the building.

'What the hell are those things?' Zoey cried. A Burrower fist punched through the floor and tried to grab one of them.

'Talk later!' Bill cried, leading everyone upstairs. They all ran up to the top but could still feel the Burrowers down below, shaking the very foundations of the building. Zoey, who was to the rear, stumbled multiple times after losing her footing. Upon emerging at the top of the stairs on the final floor, Bill was forced to jump to safety as a gunshot filled the air. There was an elaborate corridor before them with two pillars on each side. At the far end was a metal doorway surrounded by heavy barricading with little slots to allow a weapon to poke through. As Francis and Louis emerged, they were forced to take cover behind the other pillar while Zoey stood at the bottom of the stairs. They waited as they were shot at, thinking of a new plan.

...

Rochelle was sat in the driver's seat of the bus, thinking. She held the knife in her hand, tapping the blade against her palm. A noise came from behind and she looked around to see Nick join her. Everyone else were sleeping outside as the repairs had not been completed yet, leaving the two on their own.

'You okay?' Nick asked her. Rochelle nodded slowly in response.

'I'm fine,' she sighed.

'You know you've come to a point when you're so good at lying that you're now really bad at telling the truth,' Nick told her. 'What's up?'

'Aside from trying to figure out of what you just said made sense,' Rochelle sat back, 'I'm just thinking.'

'What about?'

'About the other thing you said.' Nick thought for a moment. 'About me doing whatever I want.'

'Oh,' Nick nodded. 'Right...'

'I don't do whatever I want all the time,' Rochelle told him. 'Ever since I got here I've been doing what I can to try and make you all like me again.'

'Yes, but Rochelle...' Nick was interrupted by her talking over him.

'I meant what I said, you know, when we were back at the stream. I do want things to go back to the way they were.'

'Who doesn't?' Nick commented. Rochelle leant forward, irritated.

'I mean things between you and me,' she said. 'I hate the fact that you and I are so separate. We used to be so good together.'

'You hurt me, Rochelle,' Nick looked to her. 'It takes time.'

'Do you honestly think that me lying to you didn't hurt me?' Rochelle asked, standing up. 'It killed me! You have no idea how it feels to care about someone so much but have to keep so much about yourself from them.'

'Why don't you tell me then?' Nick suggested. 'Why don't you tell me your horrible secrets? I can already guess a few; you worked with a corporation who wanted to research this virus. I'm guessing you did it for reasons that were less than heroic if you were willing to kill for it. Why don't you fill in the blanks?'

'Does it really matter?' Rochelle asked.

'Yes it does matter!' Nick cried. 'It matters because it's the reason you betrayed us, it's the reason my father killed himself and it's the reason all of this is happening!'

'Fine!' Rochelle yelled. 'Fine. I'll tell you.' She sat back down and brushed the hair from her face. 'The organisation I worked for was a classified government one. We were a shadow group called Shadow Guard, whose existence was known by very few people, not even Norah had high enough clearance to be put in the loop. The President feared CEDA would be inadequate and so he sent a few from the Guard into Savannah to do their own research into the virus as it spread. I was part of that group. We had more advanced technology than CEDA did so we able to secure and stabilize a sample of the virus for further study. However, one of our group was working with the Director, feeding him information about what we were doing. That's how he found out about us and that's why he used your father to get back at us while we were transporting the sample to a safe place.'

'What happened to the guy who betrayed you?' Nick asked. Rochelle shook her head.

'That doesn't matter.' There was a pause. 'We needed the virus sample to save the world from the zombies. With it we could create a vaccine or maybe even a cure. We dug up some dirt on CEDA and the Director and put it together with the sample in order to keep it safe. But when it was lost, I was sent to tag along with you as you were Peter's son and you'd no doubt come across him and the briefcase with what we needed.'

'So it was all an act?' Nick summarised.

'No,' Rochelle said sheepishly. 'Our friendship was not an act. My feelings toward you are not an act.'

'You have feelings toward me?' Nick asked.

'I do,' Rochelle told him. 'The hardest thing I ever had to do was that day in New Orleans when I had to choose between you and my duty.'

'Well you didn't shoot me,' Nick said. 'You let the sample get destroyed...'

'I made the right choice,' Rochelle told him. Nick smiled at her. 'This is me, Nick. I'm not hiding anything from you anymore. You're the one person in my life who truly knows me best and I don't want to lose you.' Her eyes were becoming watery. She let out a sigh and wiped tears away. Clearing her throat, she stood up. 'So that's everything.'

'Not everything,' Nick stood up and took her hand. He pulled her close to him, tilted her head up toward his and pushed his lips close to hers. The two shared their first passionate kiss and it was not one that Rochelle wanted to end. She put her hands on Nick's face, running them around to the back of his head and down his neck, holding him close. Nick's hands were on Rochelle's sides. They moved up to her back where he pulled her close in a longing embrace. The two stood together for a while, kissing until the sun began to rise in the sky.

...

Certain he was about to receive the kiss of death, Bill began shouting at the attackers.

'Hold your fire!' he roared. 'We're here on the behalf of Oliver Rooney! We're here to see Cassandra!' The gunfire continued.

'Any other plans?' Francis asked.

'He deliberately sent us here to our deaths!' Louis speculated. 'I bet he just wanted us away from Madison.'

'I'll warn Malcolm,' Bill informed them as he went to speak into the radio. 'Malcolm do you read me?' Malcolm was unable to answer his radio. Even though Oliver had returned everything that had been confiscated, Malcolm was incapacitated as he dozed next to the resting Madison. As they both slept, someone crept silently behind him and strangled him. Unable to breath, Malcolm's struggling quickly ceased and he was dragged away, his radio headset falling to the floor. It was picked up by Oliver who looked menacingly at Madison. 'Damn it, Malcolm, come in!' Bill looked to the others. 'He won't answer!'

'Well what do we do now?' Francis asked.

The gunfire suddenly ceased. The metal safe room door opened and someone called out to them.

'We are coming out,' he cried. 'We will not shoot.' Two men stepped out under the watchful eye of Bill and the others. Their clothes were grubby and they looked worse for wear. They held up their empty hands. Bill stepped into the open giving the same gesture. 'Oliver Rooney sent you?'

'Yes,' Bill gestured for the others to come out into the open. 'We're here for Cassandra. Do you know where she is?'

'Right here,' said a female voice from the other side of the door. Stepping into the open was a tall older woman with dark hair. She appeared to be in her late fifties and her clothes were better maintained than those worn by those surrounding her. She wore a formal business suit. 'I am Cassandra Rooney,' she introduced herself. 'You say Oliver sent you?'

'Yes,' Bill nodded. 'My name is Bill. This is Francis, Louis and...'

Zoey made her way up the stairs and looked over at Cassandra.

'Zoey...' she muttered. Bill looked at Cassandra, surprised.

'Good... guess,' he muttered. He glanced over to Zoey and noticed the look of surprise and shock on her face. Her lips were trembling as she tried to form words in her mouth. Finally, she was able to utter one word.

'Mom?'

...

**Thank you for reading! I plan on updating more frequently now. Please let me know what you think as I'd love to know what you think I'm doing well and where you think I'm going wrong. Keep an eye out for more of the Midnight Riders! **

**Andy**


	6. A Family Matter

_**The Midnight Riders**_

Chapter Four – A Family Matter

Life is a journey that is full of surprises. One year ago, the entire country was hit by a surprise infection that destroyed everything in its path. Those who survived had grown wary of surprises as in this new world they were often unpleasant. A surprise attack from the horde or an unexpected setback during travel often had undesirable consequences, which would no doubt prove fatal. Although she had just re-entered the world of the infected, young Zoey was no different to the other survivors and hated surprises. As she stood near the apex of the apartment building in the middle of New York City she realised that while life held many surprises, upon looking at her mother she knew that death had some as well.

'Mom?' Zoey spoke in total disbelief after moments of unsure silence. The eyes of Cassandra, her mother, lit up magically.

'I can't believe it,' she whispered softly. Bill, Francis and Louis were stood aside, watching the events transpire. Louis stepped forward to interject but Francis grabbed his arm, holding him back. Shooting Francis a glaring look, Louis tried to break free from his restraint to stand by Zoey. Francis, however just held him there, shaking his head at him. 'I had no idea that you were still alive. If I had known I would have been out there looking for you, I swear it.'

'Yeah?' Zoey asked. She was gathering her thoughts and finally decided what would be the appropriate emotion to display. 'Well I doubt that!' The emotion was anger. The others took a surprised step back.

'Ah, Zoey?' Louis spoke up, voicing the group's collective confusion.

'Keep out of this,' Zoey snapped back with a ferocity that he had never seen before. Even Bill was intimidated, of course he did not show it.

'Sweetie,' Cassandra stepped forward. 'I know things didn't go well between us before...'

'Things didn't go well?' Zoey repeated. 'What an understatement! You told me that I was adopted, pummelled me with layers and layers of pressure to fulfil your dreams and then when I mess up you didn't want to have anything to do with me!' The cry of a Hunter interrupted the conversation. Zoey looked back and saw the infected leap at her from the bottom of the stairs. As it was in midair, she aimed her gun and shot it dead, the corpse landing beside her. She glanced back to Cassandra and the whole building began shaking. 'We're here for business not pleasure so why don't we all do inside before the rest of those... Burrowers come back up and get us?' She did not give her a chance to reply and Zoey walked past her mother and through the metal door, leaving everyone standing awkwardly outside. To break the silence, Bill cleared his throat and spoke up, clapping his hands together.

'Come on; into the safe room, people!'

The apartment where Cassandra and her Clan had been waiting out the apocalypse in was an elaborate one. Considering the circumstances it was immaculately well maintained an exquisitely decorated. It seemed to fit with Cassandra's tastes of upper class, expensive furnishings. Through a corridor they all emerged in the main area with a glass dining table and chairs in one corner, a flat screen television above a fireplace surrounded by comfortable sofas in another corner and a metal staircase leading up to a higher area of more places to sit. Several people were looking down as they saw the newcomers enter their safe house, one of them making a lot of noise.

'You could at least let me explain,' Cassandra begged Zoey who was not willing to cooperate.

'What is there to explain?' Zoey shrugged, glancing vaguely around the apartment. 'I know what you're going to say! You're going to apologise for the way you acted and you see this zombie apocalypse as a second chance, a fresh start with our relationship as you now know what really matters to you. Is that right? Am I close?'

'Well actually you hit the nail on the head,' Cassandra admitted. Zoey chuckled sarcastically.

'God,' she muttered, 'I can see right through you.'

'Zoey,' Cassandra stepped forward. 'I made some bad choices in the past, I realise that. I know that my priorities were not what they should have been but for Christ's sakes, I've changed! Does any of that really matter now?'

'You bet it does,' Zoey hissed. 'If you think you can walk back into my life just like that then you're sadly mistaken.'

'Actually,' Francis spoke up, 'you're the one who came to her.' Zoey shot him a venomous glare as he spoke. 'So you... walked back into her life... Man, I hate family squabbles!'

'This isn't a squabble,' Zoey corrected him.

'The hell it isn't!' Cassandra cried. 'If you honestly think that I'm not going to try and do everything that I can for you now that you're here then you're the one who is mistaken.'

'Alright,' Zoey held up her hands as if she were surrendering. 'You want to help me? Then come back with us.'

'You came all this way just for me?' Cassandra questioned. 'Why?'

'Oliver Rooney sent us,' Bill told her.

'Oliver?' Cassandra gasped.

'Yeah, Oliver,' Zoey nodded. 'You know? The tall guy. Bit of a snob. Lives in a massive house. Oh yeah, and he's _your husband_!'

'Yeah why did you marry this guy?' Louis asked. 'I mean, Rooney isn't your maiden name is it?'

'Oh please,' Cassandra waved her hand at him. 'My surname is the same as yours, Zoey. My "marriage" to Oliver is purely a... business thing. Besides I'm old enough to be his...'

'Grandmother?' Zoey remarked flippantly. Cassandra frowned at her.

'How long is this pissed off childish act going to go on for? You know, just a ballpark figure because it's really going to get real old, real fast.'

'Oh, just like you then?'

'That is it young lady,' Cassandra pointed her finger at her. 'I know we may not exactly be on the best of terms but God damn it I am your mother and you will treat me with respect!'

'I'll treat you with as much respect as a woman who adopts a child and then shuns her out of her life deserves,' Zoey growled. 'Now we're going to rest here for a bit and then we're going to take you back to North Carolina and then we'll hand you over to your husband _and then_ we will never see you ever again! You got that?'

'Oh we're not going anywhere,' Cassandra told her. Zoey's frowned deepened. 'We're not going anywhere until you and I have a chance to talk like civilized adults.'

'Well it looks like we'll be staying here a while!' Zoey shouted, extending her arms wide.

'For Christ's sakes, Zoey! Let's leave the brutality outside! We have a chance here that very few people ever get.'

'Looks like I'm going to be wasting it then,' Zoey responded, turning away and walking up the stairs. She left the room in entire silence. Cassandra sighed and bowed her head while Bill just stood where he was awkwardly. He glanced over to Louis and Francis for a distraction.

'Wow,' Louis muttered, breaking the ice.

'I know,' Francis nodded.

'I'm sorry that you all had to witness that,' Cassandra rubbed the back of her neck.

'Oh it's not that,' Louis held up his hands reassuringly. 'No, it's just that I had so many questions in my head about how Zoey got the way that she was today and... well; now they've all just been answered.' Bill and Francis glared at Louis in unison.

...

The key slid perfectly into the ignition. As Ellis twisted it, the powerful roar of the Midnight Riders tour bus filled the air, the sound of the engine bringing a sense of joy, accomplishment and hope to the eight people inside. Coach was sat next to Ellis who was manoeuvring the bus around so that he could drive out. To the back, were Rochelle and Nick who were stood in the kitchen area, looking readily out of the window. Drake, Teek, Norah and Danielle were at the rear seating area, gazing through the rear window, excitedly. The Midnight Riders tour bus was completely rebuilt with a brand new, slick black outer paintwork. The words "the Midnight Riders" were written on each side of the bus in cursive text. It looked immaculately perfect to the eight who were riding in it. As Coach gave Ellis the order to roll out, he happily shifted the gear and pulled the bus out of the garage. Putting his foot down, Ellis drove the tour bus away from the garage, through the Haven and out toward the future. However, unbeknownst to any of the people inside the bus; they were being closely watched.

Somebody watched as they left the Haven. Someone noticed when they pulled over for a rest stop. Somebody was aware when they pulled in and out of another Haven. There was no way that Coach or any of the others could tell that they were being watched, however. The person following them was not pursuing them in a distant vehicle, they were watching through the powerful camera of an orbital satellite that was closely monitoring every single move that they made.

Unaware that of their situation, the Midnight Riders carried on as they would normally do. While Norah was up front with Ellis, Rochelle and Drake were stood in the middle of the large aisle, facing each other.

'Now the key is defence,' Rochelle told him. 'Only attack when their defence is weak.' Drake lunged toward her to throw a punch but Rochelle blocked it with ease, twisting his wrist as she did so causing his body to arch sideways. Rochelle was able to spin him around and put him in a chokehold. 'The other key is to use their attacks to your advantage.' She released him and Drake stepped away.

'Damn,' he muttered. 'Next time I'm attacked I think I'll just give you a call.' Rochelle grinned and nodded at him in response. Drake went off to his room. Nick stepped away from the others who were sat in the back seats and joined Rochelle in the aisle by the kitchen.

'You want some too?' she joked.

'Maybe later,' Nick shrugged. He gestured for Rochelle to move with him over to the kitchen. He began making noise by tapping plates and cutlery together; giving off the impression he was placing them away in their proper places. It was a cover to prevent anyone from hearing their conversation. 'What are we going to do?'

'About what?' Rochelle asked. Nick sighed slightly irritably.

'About global warming,' he muttered sarcastically. '_About our kiss you fool_, what do you think I'm talking about?'

'Well we're soon going to talk about calling me a fool,' Rochelle commented.

'Look this is serious,' Nick insisted. 'Right now we have Ellis over there thinking that you and he are in a relationship when you and I are...'

'Are what?' Rochelle interrupted him, anticipating that he would not be able to finish the sentence. 'That you and I are together?'

'Are we?'

'Why wouldn't we be?' Rochelle shrugged before turning her tone to one of hushed seriousness. '_Of course we're not you idiot_! It was one kiss, just one. It's not like we had sex or anything.'

'True,' Nick acknowledged. 'But you said that you wanted things to go back to the way they were before.'

'That was our first ever kiss!' Rochelle hissed. 'The way we were before was light flirting mixed in with longing glances of lust and desire. We never did anything about it; we never had the chance!'

'So you're not going to break up with Ellis?' Nick asked. Rochelle's face fell. She spoke in pauses, her voice becoming slighter louder to emphasise her point.

'I am not... dating... Ellis!'

'What's that, love?' Ellis called from the front after hearing Rochelle's louder voice mention his name. Rochelle turned and smiled at him.

'Oh nothing,' she said haphazardly, thinking of something inventive to say. 'I was just telling Nick how I'm not... waiting on you...' Nick frowned at her and Ellis looked confused. 'You know,' Rochelle attempted to explain herself. 'I'm not going to be one of those girls who waits on their partner on hand and foot.'

'Don't worry,' Ellis grinned. 'I'm gonna treat you like a prudy princess.' Rochelle forced herself to smile and spoke through gritted teeth.

'Oh good...' She spun around, once again facing Nick who was eyeing her with an amused look on his face. 'You can wipe that smirk off right now.'

'Look we're in the clear now,' he told her. 'You killed the real murderer of that guy we found and we're heading far away from that place. There's no point in keeping up with this charade anymore.'

'There is,' Rochelle insisted. 'If I break it off with Ellis now then everyone will get suspicious of me again and I can't have that. They've only just started to warm up to me again and who the hell uses the word "charade"?'

'I do,' Nick pointed out the obvious. 'What word would you use?'

'Sham,' Rochelle answered as soon as he asked the question.

'Look,' Nick stepped close to her. 'You're acting like a high school girl right now. I'm finally putting it out in the open; we should be together. Why are you fighting this?'

'Because you're not the only one who felt handed over back in New Orleans,' Rochelle told him. Nick's face was one of visible confusion.

'What are you talking about?' he asked.

'You gave up on the idea of there being an us with such great ease even though you could see how hard it was for me to do the things that I did.' Rochelle suppressed welling emotion and Nick sighed, speaking softly to her.

'I'm sorry that you feel betrayed,' he told her.

'Well I guess that's a nasty side effect of betrayal,' she muttered in response. Nick touched Rochelle's hand tenderly but she pulled it away. 'Not now,' she told him. 'Let's talk about this later, in private. Okay?' Nick hesitantly nodded and Rochelle walked away from him, going into her room. Nick stood in the kitchen, watching Ellis as he drove. The novelty of having the bus fixed had long since gone. It had been replaced by the suddenly awkward love triangle of Ellis, Rochelle and Nick. Sighing, Nick rubbed his face with his hands. It was going to be one long ride.

...

Miguel Doyle was sat gazing at the display in the Tactics Room, a look of severe annoyance on his face.

'You mean to tell me,' he spoke to Bill on through the radio, 'that not only you violated my orders about interfering too much with any survivors you may encounter but now you've run into Zoey's mother and are having a massive family dispute because of this?'

'This is hardly controllable,' Bill attempted to explain his way out of the situation but was failing miserably.

'If you followed the guidelines then none of this would have ever happened,' Miguel cried. 'You tell me now; is it still unavoidable?'

'With all due respect,' Bill spoke sternly, 'those rules and guidelines you people at the Bioterrorism Counter Force need to be revised! They're hardly applicable when we need to work with others to accomplish our mission.'

'And with all due respect to you,' Miguel's voice was one equally unyielding, 'you're not nearly informed enough to make decisions like that.'

'By "with all due respect" you really mean "kiss my ass"?' Bill asked.

'I meant it the same way you did,' Miguel responded.

'Kiss my ass,' Bill muttered, re-establishing the conversation to the original topic. 'Look we'll try and fix things on this end. You just be ready to give us some support. We've just met some new zombies that look like a right pack of little bastards.'

'I'll stay close by,' Miguel muttered. 'Just hurry back to Rooney to make this deal. We've lost enough time due to these setbacks. Don't forget you're all here for a reason.'

'Whatever,' Bill disconnected the call, leaving Miguel alone. He let his head fall onto the table in frustration. As he lay here, the display began flashing a message. Miguel wearily looked up and saw a banner informing him that a foreign satellite signal had been picked up. Curious, he tapped the banner to analyse the information. He discovered that someone was communicating to someone on the ground using a satellite radio, one much like the one he was using to talk to Bill and the others. He located the source of the communications which was a location in the north of Central America. Miguel attempted to hijack the link so that he could determine who was communicating on it. However, instead of picking up audio he found an image. He displayed it on the table and saw in front of him the bird eye image of the Midnight Riders tour bus. The image, foreign to Miguel, was a live video feed being broadcast somewhere out of the country. Miguel kept the video up, flicking it to the top left of the display. He then began working on tracing where the image was being sent to.

In the meantime away from the HMS Jaeger and in Cassandra Rooney's apartment, Zoey was sat in the upper mezzanine area with her fist resting against her chin. Her sleeves were stretched over her hand. She was looking out of the arched window that offered a view of the road outside. It was the same familiar view of all over New York; abandoned vehicles. The sound of footsteps alerted her to Louis' presence. He was suddenly at the top of the stairs, moving toward her.

'I won't ask if you're okay,' he took a seat next to her, sitting with his legs apart and hands together, facing Zoey and the window. 'I can't imagine what you must be going through right now; I mean seeing your mother after all this time, especially how you two parted ways. It must be difficult.'

'Well it isn't,' Zoey mumbled. There was a silence.

'I guess I can't argue with you on that,' Louis sighed. 'I mean I never knew my parents so I guess anything I say to act as support wouldn't really be worth it.' Zoey glanced away from the window to look at Louis.

'You never told me you were an orphan,' she said softly.

'Technically I still am,' Louis chuckled. 'But yeah... I grew up in foster care centres watching all the other kids get adopted and waiting forever for my turn only for it to never come... I guess you could call me one of those children that just got lost in the system.' Zoey looked away, staring at the ground as she listened to Louis. 'On the very day that I was legally old enough I left to make something of myself. I got a job, went to college then got a better job. I guess I did it because I had a really good life before all this happened.' Zoey remained silent and Louis leant forward, closer to her. 'I guess what I'm saying is; I got on just fine without my parents. Sure it was hard at first, knowing that I didn't have a mom or dad who would always love and support me but I got through it, just like you got through it.'

'I didn't get through it though,' Zoey looked to him with teary eyes. 'I mean for Christ's sake, when they kicked me out of their life I was a wreck. I was self harming, I ran away to a different state... I got mixed up with the wrong people and needed to be bailed out. My entire life I've always had people helping me. I can't take care of myself, Louis, I'm just not able to and after I was abandoned I think I proved that.' She paused to wipe the tears from her eyes, taking a breath. 'I can't ever forgive her for what she's done. I just can't.'

'If you can't then there's nothing that anyone can say that'll change your mind,' Louis sighed, getting to his feet. 'I'm sorry to bother you, I know it must sound ridiculous having me talk to you having a second chance with your mom. I never even had the first chance so I don't know how hard it is for you.' Zoey glanced at Louis and he went down the stairs. Tears fell from her eyes and she rested her head on the cool glass window.

On the lower level Louis walked past Cassandra who was pacing nervously, talking to some of her people. He went down a corridor to be alone, exchanging acknowledging nods between Bill and Francis, who were talking quietly together.

'Didn't Oliver say that the loyalties of the people around Cassandra were waning?' Bill asked Francis.

'Yeah!' he agreed. 'And they were starting to distrust her, too.' Ignoring Francis' comment by rolling his eyes, Bill took a breath and whispered softly to him.

'If she is alright then why the hell would he make up a lie like that? He has Madison; he could have just ordered us to grab the woman and we'd still have gone with no explanation. Something's not right here.'

'Maybe he wanted to reunite Zoey and her mom?' Francis suggested.

'Oh come on,' Bill protested. 'He has no idea who we are. There's no way that he knew that the two were related.'

'It's a pretty big coincidence though,' Francis pointed out. 'I mean what are the odds that Zoey would run into her mother purely by chance?'

'You've got a point,' Bill acknowledged, continuing to think.

'There's something;' Francis had a thought of his own. 'How come Zoey's mom isn't infected? Zoey's immune and all but if she was adopted then that means that she's got different blood to her so she shouldn't be immune and should be a zombie right now.'

'You've got a point there, too,' Bill nodded to him.

'And also...' he continued to say, 'Why did Oliver send us as soon as he met us? You've seen all the guys he has for security. Surely he could have sent a team or an army of them to get this woman if she's that God damn important. Why send just us four into a place that's supposedly very dangerous? Aside from those burrowing freaks, this place doesn't seem too bad.'

'I see what you mean,' Bill agreed completely with Francis' statements, something that he found rather surprising. Francis put his hand to his head, shaking it slightly. He moved to go sit down in one of the lounge areas.

'Man, I hate thinking,' he muttered to himself. Bill however stood there silently thinking about the points that Francis had brought up. Everything seemed a little too coincidental. While he wanted to believe that everything was just random luck, the cynic in him told him that nothing was what it appeared to be. His suspicions were confirmed when his vision burred and he passed out due to someone hitting him forcefully in the back of the head. Bill was dragged down the hall followed by Francis while Zoey sat on the mezzanine, lost in her thoughts. Cassandra watched as Bill and Francis were dragged away, rubbing her hands together. She glanced up the stairs with a sinister look on her face.

Meanwhile back in New Bern, Oliver Rooney was sat in his office overlooking the compound below. There came a sudden burst of static from his lower desk drawer. He promptly opened it and retrieved a radio.

'Is that you, wife?' he spoke into the receiver.

'Affirmative,' Cassandra answered. 'I've isolated all of them and ordered my men to wait outside the apartment until I've had a chance to catch up with my daughter. I really do appreciate you doing all this for me.'

'What can I say?' Oliver said in response, looking at something lying on his desk. 'I think I may have profited from this as well.' He picked up the Madison's radio headset, grinning. In her hospital bed, Madison awoke and looked to the side to see Malcolm. When she saw that he was not there, she tried to sit up but stopped when she saw two heavily armed men stood guard at the foot of her bed. Pretending to sleep, Madison watched them through squinted eyes. Elsewhere in the compound, Malcolm was tied to a wooden chair in the middle of a dark cellar. He was breathing heavily looking around and seeing nothing as the only light came from a lamp just above his head.

'Hello?' he called out. 'You have to let me out of here!' There was no response from the darkness. He began to start shouting. '_Hello_!'

...

The day turned into night very quickly and Coach had ordered Ellis to stop at the smallest Haven they had ever stopped at. It was a group of campfires dotted strategically around a field, forming a weak perimeter. Feeling uneasy as they were vulnerable to a horde attack, he asked for volunteers to keep a lookout while everyone else slept. Rochelle had a lot on her mind so she was happy to oblige. She was lying down on the roof of the bus, looking up at the stars. They were so bright in the sky, brighter than she had ever seen before. Little did she know that as she looked at the sky, the sky looked back at her. Her image was displayed on Miguel's table. Suddenly, a burst of communication went down to a radio receiver. Having prepared for this to happen, Miguel was able to trace the transmission. There was someone in communication with the person who was operating the satellite just two hundred meters away from Rochelle. Miguel had taken a keen interest in her ever since he saw her lying on the roof of the bus as he scanned her face and attempted to identify it through records of missing persons. Instead of finding nothing he came across several files but could not access them as when he attempted to do so, he was blocked by a large "classified" banner. There was a strong sensation deep in Miguel's gut that told him that something bad was going to happen to the young woman he was watching over.

Rochelle stretched her arms out, yawning. She moved to the side of the roof and jumped off the bus, landing gently on the ground. The smell of burning wood from the campfires in the distance was relaxing. Rochelle went over to one of these campfires and knelt down next to it, hovering her hands over the flame. As the warmth went through her fingertips and up her arms, she heard someone approaching from behind. Rochelle turned on the spot and saw Norah join her.

'You scared me,' Rochelle admitted, chuckling. Norah smiled at her as she stepped close by the fire.

'Sorry,' she said as she sat down. Miguel saw Norah's face and thought it looked familiar. He scanned it into the computer as he watched the two speak. He wished that he could hear what they were saying. He saw on the map that the person who was communicating with the satellite was heading straight for the two. Norah's face was then identified by the computers and Miguel's eyes widened as he discovered the identity of Norah Hanham, the person that Bill and the others had been sent into America to find. 'It's a lovely night,' Norah said, making conversation. 'I can't sleep so you can go rest if you want and I'll keep a lookout.' Rochelle shrugged and accepted Norah's offer, turning to go back to the bus. She walked away, leaving Norah on her own as someone approached quickly in the darkness.

Rochelle stopped at the door, turning around as she thought she heard something. Seeing nothing but Norah sat upright by the fire, she shrugged and said goodnight to her. As she did she saw Norah suddenly slump to the ground. Frowning with curiosity, Rochelle called out her name.

'Norah? Norah you okay?' Rochelle took a step away from the bus back toward the campfire. 'Norah?' As Norah lay on the ground, a small dart sticking out of her neck was obscured from Rochelle's view. Knowing that something was wrong, Rochelle became defensive. At that moment she heard the faintest popping sound. She ducked down instantly as a dart similar to Norah's shot over her head. She then turned in the direction of the noise, now convinced that there was someone out there. Rochelle pulled out her handgun. 'Who is there?' she cried. 'Show yourself or I'm gonna start shooting!'

From Miguel's viewpoint, he saw a dark figure hastily creeping up behind Rochelle. The man behind her was as silent as a ghost and Rochelle was not aware of him until it was too late. Ghost grabbed her from behind, wrapping his arms around Rochelle's neck in a sleeper hold. Kicking the weapon out of her hand, the two struggled. Rochelle was able to push herself back but her attacker's grip would not loosen. She pushed the two of them back even further, toward the fire. With one final push she made him set foot in the campfire, his leg catching ablaze. The man let go of Rochelle as he stumbled back to put out the flames.

Rochelle took the gun and aimed it at the man as he stood opposite her after putting out his torched leg.

'Who the hell are you?' she cried. The man before her was a heavily muscled one. He wore a dark ski mask accompanied by a dark army jacket and combat trousers. In the dark light, Rochelle could see his ice blue eyes through his mask. With the sound of a smirk, the man pulled his mask off revealing a young face that was polluted with scars. He had short hair as black as the night and looked at Rochelle with a sneering grin. He reached to a pocket behind him and pulled out a very sharp, very shiny combat knife and pointed it to Rochelle as he spoke to her.

'I wouldn't have thought you'd have forgotten me that quickly,' said the man's familiar English voice. Rochelle lowered her weapon and grinned, letting out a faint gasp of delighted surprise.

'Ghost?' she said. 'My God, man! How are you doing? I thought you were dead.'

'Really?' Ghost frowned at her before pulling his mask back on and lowering the knife. 'What made you think that?'

'Virgil,' she explained. 'When he was supposed to be extracting me he said that everyone from the Guard had died.'

'Oh no,' Ghost responded with a quick shake of his head. He began spinning the knife in his fingers. 'No we're all still alive.'

'Great,' Rochelle smiled. She looked down to Norah and knelt next to her, pulling the dart from her neck. She held it up to Ghost. 'Is this your doing?'

'I wanted to get you on your own.'

'So you could pretend to strangle me?'

'Who said I was pretending?' Rochelle could not be sure whether he was being facetious or not. She chose to take what he said as a joke.

'How did you find me?' she asked, trying to wake Norah. 'What did you use on her?' Ghost took a step toward Rochelle, his fingers still fiddling with the knife. Rochelle glanced up and saw that he was heavily armed. Even though it would make sense to be well armed in the current climate it still made her feel uneasy. Rochelle stood up, separating Ghost from Norah. She was a lot shorter than he was so she looked up at him. 'Why are you here?'

'To get you.' Rochelle frowned.

'To get me or to see me?'

'To get you,' Ghost repeated. There was a brief moment of silence.

Ghost put the knife away with such speed that he was reaching with his free hand for Rochelle before she noticed that it was gone. She was able to knock his hand away from her and stepped away as he tried to grab her once more. Rochelle ducked under his arm and pushed him away, jumping back to maintain some distance.

'Playtime's over, Ghost,' Rochelle told him. 'Stop this now.'

'Who said I was playing?' Even though he had his mask on, Rochelle could tell that he was smiling. Ghost lunged toward Rochelle who tried to aim her pistol at him but found that it was knocked from her hand. Grabbing her from behind again, Ghost attempted to put her back in a sleeper hold but was hindered when Rochelle used her elbow to punch him in the face. Not bothering to look for the gun, Rochelle pivoted on the spot while kicking her leg out, knocking Ghost back. She then ran for him, jumping into the air and kicking him twice, sending him off balance and to the ground. Rochelle landed on top of him and punched him in the face. Ghost grabbed Rochelle by the neck and then threw her off him. She crashed into the side of the bus. The sound of the bang caused Nick to wake up.

Rochelle saw Ghost marching toward her as she shook away the pain. He was right opposite her and put his hand into a fist, throwing a strong punch. Rochelle grabbed his fist with both of her hands and blocked the blow, stomping on his foot and pushing him away from the bus. She then kicked him in the back. Becoming aggravated, Ghost pulled out one of his handguns, a large HK USP and swung it in her direction. Rochelle pushed the gun away from her, causing it to accidentally fire into the air. The already awake Nick bolted out of bed as he heard the gunshot while the others woke up upon hearing the bang.

Still holding the gun in the air, Ghost struggled to get it away from Rochelle who would not let go of his wrist. With his free hand he was able to lift her off her feet but this gave Rochelle the chance to kick him straight into the groin. He winced and let go of her and the gun, causing Rochelle to land on her rear on the ground. Doing some kicking of his own, Ghost pushed Rochelle onto her side and kicked her in the stomach, making her drop the pistol with a breathless gasp. He went to kick her again but Rochelle was able to block it by grabbing his foot and pulling it so that he fell to the ground. He rolled around and took the pistol, standing up. Rochelle took a breath and jumped up by kicking her legs forward, the force launching her whole body off the ground. Landing on her feet, she threw a punch that was deflected and a kick that was caught. Ghost pulled her close to him and wrapped his arm around her.

'What the fuck is going on?' Nick cried, stepping out of the bus. Ghost turned and fired three shots from his gun. Each bullet tore through Nick's body, making him twitch with each shot. One bullet went through his arm and the other two shot straight through his chest. Nick immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground.

'Nick!' Rochelle cried with an absolute screech. She broke away from Ghost and went toward him but was stopped when Ghost hit her over the back of the head with his gun. Rochelle fell unconscious to the ground. Ghost made a radio call as he stood by Rochelle.

'Requesting immediate evac, over.' There came another noise from the bus and Ellis emerged from the stairs. He saw Nick twitching on the ground and looked up at Ghost in time to see him raise his weapon. With Ellis in his sights, Ghost pulled the trigger.

The bullet would have hit him if Norah hadn't grabbed Ghost, damaging his aim. Ellis called for help while Ghost and Norah struggled together. He quickly got the upper hand and made Norah face him, pulling her close to his face.

'I don't like hitting women,' he hissed at her. 'So don't make me do it or I'll get really mad.' He pushed Norah over toward Nick. At that moment, the rest of the Midnight Riders stepped outside, each were heavily armed. Ghost put his gun away and pulled out his knife as he lifted Rochelle up, putting the knife to her neck. Everyone stood facing Ghost. 'You all look very jittery so I'd lower those guns in case you accidentally pull the trigger and either hit Rochelle or me. If I die then this knife will more than likely slice out her throat on its own. She'd be dead before I would be.'

Danielle looked down and saw Nick on the ground. She ordered Drake to help her get him inside.

'Who the hell are you?' Coach cried. 'Why have you come here?'

'I've got what I came for,' Ghost said casually. 'You all can now go back to your quaint little lives.'

'I ain't lettin' you take Rochelle!' Ellis spat.

'Unfortunately you don't really have any choice,' Ghost told him. 'If we stay here she dies, something that I won't let happen. She will live if she comes with me, although it looks like that is something you won't let happen... not willingly anyway.'

'If you think we're going to just let you walk away from here then you're wrong,' Norah told him viciously.

'Who said anything about walking?' Ghost spoke rhetorically. In the distance the sound of rotary blades could be heard. A helicopter was approaching. It flew over the campsite and hovered directly above Ghost. It dropped a rope that Ghost grabbed securely, still holding onto both Rochelle and the knife. Without saying another word, Ghost was pulled up by the helicopter. As he was still holding onto Rochelle, there was nothing that any of them could do to stop it.

'Inside!' Coach ordered.

Ellis switched the ignition and put the bus into gear. Driving over one of the campfires, he chased after the helicopter that had started flying away.

'Don't lose him,' Coach ordered.

'We can't keep up with him this!' Norah pointed out.

'I need a hand here!' Danielle cried. She and Drake had placed Nick on the table at the back. Opening his shirt she saw the bullet wounds. 'The one in the arm went through but the two in his chest must still be in there,' she muttered. Looking at Drake, she barked orders. 'Get me some disinfectant and my tools.' Drake turned and saw Teek stood behind him already holding what Danielle had asked for. Drake took them hastily from him and put them next to Nick. As Danielle began to prepare to pull the remaining bullets out, Drake disinfected Nick's arm wound. Nick let out a cry as the disinfectant burnt his skin. On the other side, Danielle positioned herself over Nick's upper chest wound. Ellis drove over a bump and she suppressed frustration. 'Kid, tell me when we're about to hit a bump! I don't want to slice Nick up anymore than he already is.'

'That's comforting,' Nick muttered.

'Teek,' Danielle cried. 'Come over here and occupy him.'

'But I don't...' Teek protest was interrupted by Danielle roaring at him.

'Now!' Teek brushed past Drake and sat next to Nick. The helicopter was slowly getting away from the bus but Ellis continued to put his foot down.

'Hey Nick...' Teek said awkwardly, glancing around for inspiration. Danielle was about to try and pull one of Nick's bullets out while Drake was preparing to stitch Nick's arm wound closed. 'Wow we've been through a lot haven't we? Especially after that whole junkyard thing.'

'I did it for her,' Nick muttered wearily. 'I got shot for her...'

'Yes you did,' Teek acknowledged.

'Is she okay?' Nick asked. Drake shot Teek a warning look.

'Of course she is,' Teek nodded. 'You helped her a lot.'

'Can I see her?' Nick tired to sit up but Danielle held him down.

'Not yet,' Teek replied. 'We need to get you fixed up, don't we?' Danielle began pulling out the bullet, making Nick scream loudly. Teek did his best to soothe him. 'It's alright,' he told him. 'Just calm down. Quiet down...' Drake shot him another warning look. Teek continued being gentle with him but Nick continued screaming in pain as Danielle struggled with removing the bullet.

'Oh God just shut up!' Drake yelled at Nick. 'What the hell are you doing, crying over a little gunshot like this? You've been through a lot worse than this so stop man up.' Drake continued to close Nick's wound. Nick was calming down somewhat. 'Weren't you like a conman or something before, anyway? Did you cry about your problems then? I don't think so. You were tough as nails, weren't you? I bet back then you were tougher than a few tiny pieces of metal. I bet you laughed in the face of danger.'

'I really didn't,' Nick muttered.

'Well start doing it now,' Drake ordered. 'Teek and I are the babies of this group and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let you take that away from us. You're the tough guy; you're the only one who can be the tough guy. Teek and I are too young, Coach is too fat and Ellis is a skinny weed.' Coach and Ellis chose to forget what Drake had just said about them. 'You're the tough guy, Nick. You always have been so start acting like it.' Drake let out a laugh, looking to Teek. 'I think all the time he spent hanging around with Ellis' girlfriend has made him sappy.'

'I'm not sappy,' Nick protested.

'Of course you're sappy!' Drake said. 'You're a sappy romantic; that's why you ran out to get yourself shot. You were trying to impress Rochelle weren't you?'

'I wasn't,' Nick shook his head quickly.

'Methinks he protests too much,' Teek held him still.

'Hey, Ellis,' Drake called out. 'How do you feel that all of this was Nick's plan to win over Rochelle?'

'Nick if you try and take Rochelle I'll shoot y'all myself,' Ellis joked.

'I'm not...' Nick muttered. He was becoming quite disoriented.

'Stay with us,' Teek tapped his face. 'We're not finished making fun of you.'

'You're just trying to keep me awake...'

'So we can talk about where you went wrong with Rochelle,' Teek told him, looking up to Drake. 'Where do you think he went wrong?'

'It was defiantly the whole getting shot thing,' Drake told him. 'I mean it's all when and good when a guy tries to do something noble to get your attention it makes sense in principle but I dunno... There's just something wrong with your methods of seduction, Nick.'

'Maybe it's the blood?' Teek suggested.

'Could be,' Drake nodded. 'If I guy wanted to impress me I'd want the levels of blood to be kept at a strict minimum.' Teek shot a sudden look up at Drake as he continued to stitch Nick. 'Maybe just get her some flowers next time,' Drake continued. 'Or a Witch's claw. I hear those are quite expensive nowadays.'

Danielle stepped away from Nick. She had retrieved both bullets from Nick's body and along with Drake had disinfected the wounds and sealed them up without Nick being aware of most of it due to the distractions. As Nick's condition began to stabilize, she and Drake moved him into his room to let him rest. After the makeshift operating table was cleaned, everyone was stood to the front near Ellis as he continued driving. The helicopter had long since disappeared into the night but Ellis still drove forward searching for it.

'You guys were just kiddin' when you were sayin' that Nick was interested in Ro, right?' he asked.

'Of course,' Drake waved his hand at him. 'It worked didn't it? Kept his mind off the pain.'

'Yeah,' Ellis nodded. 'I just didn't want to be datin' Nick's girl.'

'Where do you think she is?' Norah wondered aloud.

'Helicopters are never seen anymore,' Coach said. 'We won't be the only ones who have seen it. We'll ask around the next Haven we get to and follow what people were saying. We'll find Rochelle and bring her back.'

The Midnight Riders drove ahead into the darkness. Meanwhile the satellite image over the bus had been disconnected along with the radio communication so Miguel was unable to trace where Rochelle had gone to. However using his own satellite he was able to follow the helicopter on his own and had its position marked on the map. He was certain that they were chasing after the helicopter and knew that it was only a matter of time before they located it. This meant that he knew where Norah Hanham and the others would be very soon and if he could get Bill and the others there quick enough, he could have them rescued and sent home, bringing the mission to a successful end. Miguel could almost taste the triumph in his mouth. He tried contacting Bill to tell him of the news but could not get through to him. He tried to get through to Malcolm but was worried to see that he was also unavailable. Miguel's optimism had been replaced by an uneasy worry.

Miguel attempted to contact Zoey but she had thrown her headset off in upset. She was still sat on her own and sighed when she saw Cassandra stepping up to join her.

'I've given you time to calm down,' she said to her. 'I've sent everyone outside so that we could have a nice chat on our own.' This was true as the entire area was deserted. 'Zoey, talk to me. Tell me what is wrong. Why can't you just be happy that we've been reunited and agree to start over?'

'I've been doing some thinking,' Zoey sighed. 'I guess the reasons why I'm so against the idea of reuniting is because I just don't want what happened to happen again.'

'It won't, sweetie,' Cassandra held Zoey's hand. 'I promise.' Zoey pulled her hand away from her mother's grasp.

'It'll take me some time,' Zoey told her.

'Of course,' Cassandra held her hand up. 'Take all the time you need. I'm just happy that someday we can be a family again.' Zoey smiled weakly.

'I guess it was my fear that was keeping me from trusting you,' Zoey said, 'but I guess you've proved that you're pretty trustworthy.'

Elsewhere, Bill woke up to find himself tied to a chair along with Francis. They were on the rooftop of the building accompanied by an armed guard. Francis was still unconscious as Bill coyly looked around. There was no sign of Louis. Back inside the apartment, Louis stepped out of a side room he had gone into to be alone. He quietly moved around, confused to see that there was no one around. He heard Zoey and Cassandra talking. Suddenly his headset came to life.

'Louis, for the love of God, come in!'

'Miguel?' Louis responded. 'What's the matter?'

'Thank God,' Miguel sighed. 'Why is no one answering me?'

'What do you mean?'

'Bill and Francis are stood together on the rooftop ignoring my messages,' he explained. 'Why is everyone else standing outside the apartment? It's only you, Rochelle and one other person in there.'

'Something's wrong,' Louis looked up at the mezzanine. He moved to the stairs and silently crept up. At the top he let his presence become known to Cassandra. 'Where are the others?' Cassandra jumped around in shock, looking at Louis who was stood there.

'How did you...' she started before stopping herself.

'Mom?' Zoey asked, confused. Cassandra turned to her, a grim look on her face.

'Zoey, you'll thank me for this later.' Cassandra pulled out a gun and turned to face Louis.

'Mom, no!' Zoey screamed.

Bill heard the gunshot on the roof as did the person keeping an eye on him. The man looked worried and moved toward the door but Bill managed to trip him up. The man fell to the floor and Bill was able to free himself from the ropes as he got up. The man lunged for him but Bill was able to overpower him and push him away. Bill accidentally knocked him over the side of the building and he fell to the ground.

The man fell past the mezzanine window as Zoey stood there grappling with her mother. She was trying to get the gun out of her hand. Cassandra had missed Louis due to Zoey's interference. The safe room door opened and people ran inside. They saw Louis at the foot of the stairs and began shooting at him. Louis, Zoey and Cassandra were forced to take cover. As the man Bill had killed crashed onto the ground, one of the Burrowers examined the corpse and looked up at where it had come from. The infected then jumped through the building's outer wall followed by many more. The entire building began to shake as the Burrowers tore it apart from the inside. Bill woke and freed Francis and then stumbled to the ground as he felt the building move. Zoey looked to the window as she was hiding from the gunshots. She could see the building next door slowly getting closer. She could also see several items of furniture sliding to one side.

The apartment building's foundations were destroyed by the Burrowers and it was tilting to the left. With a loud crash it began to fall to the ground. Zoey screamed as everyone slid toward the window. Bill and Francis began to fall down the rooftop. The building they were in crashed into the side of the neighbouring structure coming to a halt as the top of it stood there leaning against it.

...

Madison reached over to the machine that was monitoring her heart rate and quickly pushed a button causing a loud beep to ring, signalling that she was dying. The two men moved to each side of Madison's bed, unsure of what to do. Madison kicked her feet into the air and split them, knocking aside both men in unison. She then got up, grabbed the one closest to the door and threw him at the other guard. The two fell to the ground and Madison knocked them both out by kicking them in face. Her clothes and equipment were hung up in an open locker in the room so Madison changed before getting ready to move. She knew something bad was going on as she stole the weapon of one of the guards. She then spoke into the radio.

'This is Madison, come in.' Miguel jumped with fright as he heard her voice.

'Madison are you okay?' he answered her call hastily.

'I'm fine,' Madison told him. 'My injuries weren't as bad as the leader here made them out to be... where are the others?'

'Malcolm is located a few floors below you,' Miguel told her, flicking through displays on his table. 'Everyone else is in New York.'

'New York?' Madison repeated. 'What the hell are they doing there?'

'They're in a spot of trouble right now,' Miguel told her. 'But, look, I've found out where Norah Hanham and the others are.'

'How the hell did you do that?' Madison asked.

'Long story but suffice it to say we don't have a lot of time. Get Malcolm, get out of there and head west. Do you understand? I'll give you further instructions when you're free.'

'Roger,' Madison nodded. 'I'll grab Malcolm now.'

Madison stepped out of her room, peering through the gap in the door as she opened it. With no one around, she made her way down the corridor sticking close to the walls. Her footsteps made no noise as she carefully stalked the corridors. Coming to a corner, Madison slowly peeked around it. She saw in the distance access to a stairwell. She also saw the numerous people who were going about their business, heading from room to room and patrolling the corridors. Madison stopped looking around the corner and tilted her head up, thinking about what she should do. It was right then Madison noticed that the whole area was comfortably cool. She saw the reason as a metallic ventilation shaft cover rattled gently up above. Madison grinned as she thought of her new plan.

Up inside the ventilation system, Madison crawled slowly in the direction of the stairwell. Meanwhile, a nurse stepped into the room where she had been recovering to bring her some food. He dropped the tray on the ground as he saw the unconscious bodies of Madison's guards lying beside the bed. Madison exited the ventilation system right in the stairwell and began making her way down. Miguel had sent her mission computer a computer rendered 3D image of the area she was in. According to the diagram she was getting close to Malcolm. As she arrived on the floor he was on, alarms began to wail throughout the complex. Inside his office, Oliver Rooney got to his feet as he was told of Madison's escape. He emerged in the reception area of the mansion and began barking orders at people.

'Lock everything down!' he cried. 'She is not getting out of here!'

Malcolm's prison was illuminated by a flashing red light. There were two people in there with him, discussing what they should do. Upon hearing instructions over their radios, they remained where they were. If Madison had escaped this would be the first place she would go to. They were certainly right. Madison kicked open the door and threw in a flash bang grenade. Malcolm closed his eyes as the flash blinded the two guards. Madison casually walked inside and hit the two over the head, knocking them out.

'You alright?' she asked Malcolm as she untied him.

'What?' Malcolm cried, his ears ringing.

'Never mind,' Madison sighed, pointing him over to a table so he could gather his equipment that had been left there. Several heavily armed personnel ran down the corridor just outside of Malcolm's prison. They stormed the room but only found the two unconscious guards. Madison and Malcolm were already gone.

'Damn it!' Oliver spat as he heard the news. 'Leaving two of my men unconscious is rapidly becoming that woman's calling card... Just make sure that they are found and hurry!'

Madison and Malcolm were now outside the hospital building. The high perimeter walls prevented them from simply hopping over the fence. The only way out was the front entrance. There were several light road vehicles that looked like golf buggies roaming around the grounds, searching for them. Madison and Malcolm shared a knowing glance.

One golf buggy turned a corner and as it drove ahead, Malcolm jumped through it, taking out the driver. Madison hopped into the front seat as Malcolm knocked out the original occupant before rejoining her. Madison put her foot to the ground and the buggy shot forward. Inside the tiny vehicle they seemed to blend in with the rest of Rooney's staff. This was until they made it to the front of the mansion where several people were waiting for them. Oliver was outside and he saw them driving toward the main gates and let out a loud cry, ordering them to be stopped. Malcolm threw his own flash bang grenade at the crowd and when it went off they dispersed rather rapidly. As Madison drove toward the gate it was painfully obvious that it would not open for them. The buggy did not have enough power to drive through the gates and there was not enough time to open them as more armed men had appeared behind them and started shooting. Malcolm reached into his bag and retrieved an explosive pipe bomb. He activated it and threw it as hard as he could to the front. The beeping bomb flew through the air and bounced off the centre of the gate and as it fell it exploded, blasting the gates open. Madison drove through the gateway and Oliver ordered his people to go after them. However the beeping of the pipe bomb had generated some unwanted attention. The wail of the infected was heard and hundreds of them ran through the gate having come from nowhere, flooding Oliver's compound. Oliver ran back inside and ordered everyone to fight.

The horde began to tear apart Oliver's miniature city as Madison and Malcolm drove away, heading west. Sighing, Madison held up her hand. Malcolm slapped it with his own and they went drove out of New Bern.

...

Bill stood up on the rooftop of the neighbouring building along with Francis.

'It ain't every day you see something like that,' Francis commented. As he spoke, the structure began to crumble somewhat. Soon it would all fall to the ground. Inside, Zoey, Louis and Cassandra were pressed against the wall next to the window. The gunfire had stopped as most of the shooters had either fallen through other windows or had been taken out by furniture. Zoey could feel the building crumbling around her.

'We gotta move now!'

Zoey positioned herself by the window and saw a clear shot to jump over to the other building. The glass was already broken on the other side so all she had to do was jump. Glancing over to Louis she spoke nervously.

'See you there,' she muttered, leaping forward. She landed in the other building without any hassle. Louis and Cassandra looked at each other.

'Don't even think about it,' he told her. 'You're next.' Louis pushed Cassandra to the window and she jumped to the other side. The entire building began to shake violently and Louis nearly fell out. Holding onto the wall he heard Zoey shout at him, calling him to jump. As he did, the entire top of the building crumbled away and fell to the ground. Landing safely, Louis had enough time to turn around as he saw the building crash to the ground thanks to the Burrowers. As the dust settled, everyone met on the rooftop.

'Well that was some crazy shit,' Francis said. 'Man, I hate skyscrapers.'

'You don't seem too upset after losing your entire Clan or whatever they're called,' Bill told Cassandra.

'It pales in comparison to finding my daughter alive again,' she responded.

'Oh save it,' Zoey spat. 'You tried to kill Louis! You knocked out Bill and Francis and put them on the rooftop. What the hell is wrong with you?'

'Zoey,' Cassandra stepped close to her. 'This country has changed and there are powerful forces working here that are so strong you cannot possibly comprehend.'

'Ah,' Francis spoke up, 'we just saw some of them zombies take out an entire building. I think we can comprehend it.' Cassandra stepped away from Zoey and addressed all of them.

'Oliver Rooney is one of the most powerful men in America right now,' she told them. 'He has a compound in North Carolina where hundreds of people live and work for him. My partnership with him was for self-preservation. I hate the man, he gives me the creeps.'

'You'll forgive us if we don't believe a word that you say, you lying bitch,' Bill told her. Ignoring him, Cassandra continued.

'Oliver sent me here to try and set up a sanctuary. I wanted to be as far away from him as possible so I gladly accepted. I was happy here away from him for many months but then he started saying that he wanted me back and that he'd send people after me if I didn't return. That's why you're all here doing his dirty work. I had Bill, Francis and I thought Louis taken away so that I could get you on your own, Zoey. I needed to make a clean break; a fresh start and I wanted to do it with you. I wanted to run away from Oliver and I couldn't do that with all of you.'

'Well we're not going to be in the country for very long,' Zoey told her. Bill widened his eyes and made gestures to her telling her to be quiet. Zoey did not listen. 'We escaped, all of us did about a year ago. We came back to find our friends and bring them home to safety.'

'Really?' Cassandra asked. 'That's incredible!'

'We'll take you home with us,' Zoey told her. 'However you've got to do exactly what we say and we'll have no more of this kidnapping and trying to kill us business.'

'Of course, sweetie,' Cassandra smiled, moving to embrace her. Zoey refused.

'I'm not quite there, yet,' she told her. Zoey saw Bill's look of annoyance. 'Bill she's my mother! I can't just leave her.'

'Fine,' Bill muttered. 'I'll let Miguel know about the situation.' Bill began speaking into the radio as Cassandra turned to Zoey.

'I know that I have let you down,' she said to her daughter. 'Both in the past and recently. But I will do what I can to make things go back to the way they once were. I promise I'll never let you down again.'

'We'll see,' Zoey sighed.

'So what do we do now?' Louis asked, joining the conversation with Francis. 'If we're taking mommy dearest with us then we can't go back to Oliver.'

'We have to though,' Francis insisted. 'Madison and that other dude are there.'

'Oh yeah,' Zoey put her hand to her chin. 'We need to find a way to break them out of Oliver's "care".' She looked to Cassandra. 'I don't know what your chances would be if we did hand you over.'

'I'll go over to him,' she responded. 'I'll do anything to prove to you that I'm with you.'

'Lady you tried to kill me,' Louis pointed out. 'It's going to take more than that to get you in our good books.'

'Hey guys,' Bill interrupted their conversation. 'Something's happened.'

Bill told everyone what Miguel had told him about what had happened while they were away. He told them of how Madison and Malcolm were imprisoned by Oliver and how they had escaped, inadvertently sending a horde of infected into his complex, most likely destroying everything. He also told them how Miguel had located the Midnight Riders and where they would be going, the same place that they were now headed for. Using the same method of jumping across fire escapes that they had used before, the five began heading out of New York City and forward toward what they had actually come for.

The journey that Bill and the others were on was full of surprises. Zoey would never have thought that she would be reunited with her mother and that she would be fighting the infected with them. As for the Midnight Riders, Nick would never have thought that he would ever get shot and Teek never considered the possibility that he could be interested in Drake. Coach was shocked that one of his own had been torn away from him with such devastating ease.

America was full of surprises after the infected had taken over. Inside Oliver Rooney's compound it was clear that most of these surprises were deadly. Buildings were on fire, corpses littered the ground and infected were everywhere. There was one extra surprise deep down below all of the death and destruction. Climbing out and above some rubble, Oliver Rooney stood tall and defiant. Armed with a heavy shotgun he blasted away all of the infected that were around him. Staggering away from his dead Clan, he made a special promise to himself. He vowed that he would track Madison Robinson down and give her a nasty surprise of his own. As he looked out at the dark night, he stood tall.

Oliver cocked his weapon.

...

...

**Thank you once again for reading. An update is coming soon so make sure you keep an eye out for it and don't forget to keep me updated on what you think of things so far. Every comment is truly appreciated. =]**

_**The character "Ghost" was created by "**__**A little help here**__**". **_


	7. Finding the Lost

_**The Midnight Riders**_

Chapter Five – Finding the Lost

Over time certain things that were once important to someone can become lost and forgotten; be they a cherished childhood toy, a former lover or an old job. As Rochelle was quickly finding out; you can try to forget things and people that were once important to you but that does not mean that they will forget about you. As Rochelle woke up the first thing she became aware of was how she was restrained. She was lying flat on a metal table with her arms down at her sides. She was able to look down and saw thick, tight leather straps around her body. She could feel that the table had small holes in it as she was able to poke one of her fingers through one. She could not see much as a bright light was right above her face and when she looked away she could still see the glare clouding her vision. Aside from her own breathing, the sound of the light's electrical buzz was the only noise Rochelle could hear. She took long, deliberate breaths to calm herself. This did not work when something clicked underneath her and the table tilted upward, making Rochelle gasp breathlessly. Now upright, Rochelle could see the rest of the dark room. There was nothing around except for a door at the back. It was open. Before Rochelle could examine it any longer, Ghost walked into her field of view. He still had his ski mask pulled over his head.

'Ashamed to show your face?' Rochelle spat at him. Ghost looked at the saliva that had landed on his arm and then looked back up at her.

'Yes,' he answered bluntly. 'But not because of what I did to you.' He turned and walked over toward the door. Rochelle began shouting after him.

'If anything happens to Nick I swear to God I'll kill you!' Ghost stopped just short of the doorway and turned his head.

'Rochelle, I think you have bigger problems to worry about.' His smug English accent had a sinister tone to it that made Rochelle feel sick to the depths of her stomach. Ghost left the room and closed the door behind him. As Rochelle lay there, she could feel the unpleasant sensation of the restraints being the only thing holding her up. Her body wanted to fall to the floor but the straps would not allow it and they began hurting her skin. Rochelle sighed and looked around for a sign of inspiration. The light suddenly went out, leaving her in perfect darkness. Rochelle exhaled again.

'Oh great,' she murmured to herself.

...

Several hours had gone by and the Midnight Riders were desperately searching for their lost companion. Coach ordered Ellis to stop at each Haven they drove by and made everyone ask around to see if anyone had seen or heard the helicopter fly by. The sight of a helicopter was a rare thing during the current climate so people took notice as they saw it. Following the directions, Ellis drove everyone closer and closer to Rochelle. Nick was confined to his bed after Danielle stressed to him and Coach that his stitches could easily break if he were to over exert himself. Nick did not have much energy to fight her recommendation as he did not have much energy at all. He had lost a lot of blood before Danielle and Drake had managed to remove the bullets and close the wounds. As the sun rose and set in the sky, the Midnight Riders were becoming very weary due to being on the go for the entire day. Coach wanted to stop and take a break but he simply could not do it. He wanted to get Rochelle back as soon as possible.

Night had fallen with still no luck in locating Rochelle or the helicopter. After Ellis nearly fell asleep at the wheel he was forced to allow everyone to have some rest. Parking in a small sized Haven located on the outskirts of a forest, the Midnight Riders rested for the evening. Coach, however, was unable to. As he closed his eyes his thoughts drifted not to Rochelle but to his ex-fiancé, Ruth. He remembered how he had felt when he thought he had lost her and how elated he was when he discovered that she was still alive. He remembered how he felt when he discovered that CEDA were after him, Nick, Ellis, Rochelle and Norah and how the only way to protect her would be to leave her behind on the cruise ship heading toward civilization whereas he would go back toward the infected nightmare of America. He remembered the feeling of sickness in his stomach, the overpowering pressure that weighted in his chest and the devastating urge to stop himself from doing the right thing and doing what he wanted. Ruth was no doubt happy now, safe with their healthy baby. It had been a year and the urge to see them both had not died down. Coach knew that he would probably never see Ruth ever again but that did not stop him from imagining.

Coach imagined himself stepping through the front door of their large house and saying the three words he had longed to say.

'Honey, I'm home!' He stepped into the front room and saw the whole place littered with toys; rattles, stuffed animals and colouring books to name a few. He made his way into the kitchen where he saw Ruth stood at the counter, peeling and slicing carrots. She looked over and saw him stood in the doorway and smiled. She was as beautiful as she had ever been; her hair still long and golden blonde, her eyes bright and cheerful and her smile still made him melt inside.

'Hey,' she spoke, eating a strip of carrot. 'You're home early.'

'Why should I spend my time coaching some punk high school kids when I can be at home with my own?'

'Easy, now,' Ruth chuckled. 'Our kid is barley one year old, plus we only have the one.'

'For now,' Coach whispered in her ear, making her chuckle. Ruth handed him a bowl of carrot sticks that she had just prepared.

'Want to give them to her?' she offered. Coach nodded and took the bowl and went through to the dining area on the other side of the counter. There he saw his beautiful baby girl sat in her high chair playing with her stuffed cat. When Coach stepped in front of her she let out a delighted cry, throwing the cat away as he knelt down in front of her. She had beautiful light caramel skin and dark hair with eyes just like her mother's. Coach placed the carrot sticks on the side and lifted her out of the chair, giving her a warm embrace.

'How's my sweet baby girl?' he whispered gently. Ruth smiled as she watched the two. 'Did you miss your daddy?' Coach held her in front of him for a moment and let out a cry as he saw his child's face had turned into that of Rochelle's. Ruth let out a scream as suddenly there were numerous infected outside, banging hard on the glass in an attempt to break through. Coach looked back at Rochelle whose face was one of sternness. As the infected broke through the glass, Coach opened his eyes and found himself back in the tour bus away from Ruth and back to reality. He sighed and got out of bed.

He went for a walk outside. The Haven was a small one as it was quite close to the woods, a place where the infected could easily ambush those nearby. As he walked through what was essentially a small camping area, Coach took in a deep breath to try and clear his thoughts before sighing dejectedly.

'Something on your mind, friend?' was the abrupt question of a man standing guard by the perimeter of the Haven. He had an assault rifle and an air horn at hand, ready to sound the alarm if there was an infected attack. He was tall with dark hair, pale skin and worn military camouflage. Judging by the way he held his weapon, Coach suspected that he was never in the service.

'Yeah,' Coach muttered before suddenly shaking his head. 'I mean no; nothing's wrong.'

'I didn't ask you if something were wrong I asked you if something was on your mind,' the man said to him, smiling. Coach looked him up and down. 'Wanna talk?'

'Yeah,' Coach breathed sarcastically. 'I don't think I'll go sharing my problems with a complete stranger.'

'Why not? I mean; strangers are the only people you can trust if you think about it. They've just met you so they've nothing to gain from hearing your problems other than offering genuine advice or opinions to help you out.' Coach let out a laugh.

'Okay,' he shrugged. 'Why not? The name's Coach.'

'Frazer,' said the man, shaking Coach's hand. 'What can I do you for?' Coach looked at Frazer for a moment, wondering what to say.

'Have you seen a helicopter go by here recently?' Coach asked.

'A helicopter?' Frazer repeated. 'How come?'

'A friend of mine was on it,' Coach responded.

'Lucky friend.'

'Not really,' Coach sighed. 'She was kidnapped by someone who nearly killed another member of my Clan.'

'Oh,' Frazer paused. 'I see.'

'I just want to get her back,' Coach sighed, rubbing his face with his hands.

'Is she special to you?' Frazer gave Coach a sly glance. Coach shook his head.

'Not like that,' he answered truthfully. 'But she is special, I'll give her that.' Frazer let out a single laugh.

'The special girls are the ones everyone wants,' he mused. 'Although I didn't think someone would ever kidnap one in a helicopter, especially during these times.'

'Did you see the chopper or not?' Coach asked. His tone had the faintest hint of annoyance.

'I did,' Frazer told him. Coach's eyes lit up with a mixture of surprise and excitement.

'You did?' he asked.

'Sure,' Frazer confirmed. 'We're always getting choppers around here.'

'You're joking!' Coach spat.

'Not at all,' Frazer insisted. 'They land not too far from here. There's like this not so secret base just on the other side of the woods.'

'This is amazing news,' Coach was suddenly very energetic. He was pacing on the ground, not sure of what to do with himself. 'I have to go, thank you so much!'

'I wouldn't go there if I were you,' Frazer called out, stopping Coach as he made his way back toward the door of the bus. He turned around, an inquisitive look on his face.

'Why?'

'You don't think people have come from all over after they've heard that aircraft are around here?' Frazer asked rhetorically. 'I've seen loads of people pass through here heading over toward that place, each of them looking to get out of the country or to make their lives a little easier.'

'What's the problem?' Coach shrugged.

'They never come back,' Frazer leant forward menacingly. There was a brief pause between the two before he continued to speak. 'The place the choppers all go to; I call it the Devil's Fortress. Everyone knows it is there and it is only when people start looking for it that bad things happen to them. Don't go stirring up trouble just for one girl, Coach.'

'Rochelle is special,' Coach told Frazer. 'I thought we've been over this?' An odd look fell over Frazer's face. 'Look,' Coach ignored it, 'I'm going to go and check out your Devil Fortress. I'll catch you later.' As Coach went back into the bus, Frazer looked to the ground, his mind deep in thought.

'Yes,' he muttered. 'You will...'

Coach stepped through the door of the bus and made a lot of cheerful noise. He knocked on the rooms that everyone was sleeping in and ushered them away from their beds. Weary and grumpy, everyone except for Nick who could not move yet gathered around the table. Coach stood in front of them.

'I don't know why you're so happy,' Norah muttered, rubbing the tiredness from her eyes. 'But whatever the reason you'd better share it with us so we can decide whether or not to kill you or go back to bed.'

'Someone's catty before her morning coffee,' Drake muttered jokingly. Norah shot him a disapproving glance.

'Well I don't think you'll be going to bed or killing me,' Coach clapped his hands together and raised his fingers to his face, grinning. 'I know where Rochelle is.'

It did not take long after Coach made this statement before the Midnight Riders hit the road again with renewed purpose. Driving away from the modest Haven, Coach guided Ellis through the thick forest. They drove along a narrow path for two hours; occasionally encountering some infected that needed to be handled. The appearance of a Tank was not enough to dampen their determination to find Rochelle. As day began to break, the Midnight Riders emerged from the forest into a relatively open area. It was then when the bus came to a stop. Being the first to step outside, Coach took a few paces away from the bus in the direction of the rising sun. What he saw filled him both with hope and fear.

Just in front of him was a steep drop that went down a considerable distance. The ground below appeared to be shimmering but that was not the case. It appeared to be moving due to the great number of common infected that were trapped in the chasm. Some were fighting each other while others were standing around doing very little. The steep drop went around in a circle forming a dry moat. In the centre of the chasm was a raised mound of earth that went up to the same height as the rest of the surrounding land. Located on top was a large building about four stories high with several helicopters placed around the front and on the roof. The Midnight Riders were within spitting distance of the Devil Fortress.

'So,' Ellis commented as he and the others stepped outside. 'It looks like we're here.'

'Looks like it,' Coach muttered quietly. Drake and Teek glanced at each other before Drake looked over the edge of the cliff, whistling in slight awe.

'We ain't getting in that way.'

'We ain't getting in at all by the looks of it,' Danielle sighed.

'Don't talk like that,' Coach scorned her. 'We're here now and we're not leaving until we get Rochelle out of there.' There were a few moments of silence as everyone thought about what to do. Ellis glanced around at everyone and decided to voice what was on their minds.

'I ain't got a darn clue.'

...

Through the darkness, Rochelle heard the sound of something flicking. There was a faint buzz before the large lamps in the ceiling came to life, filling the room with bright light. Rochelle squinted through the brightness, disoriented as her eyes slowly became used to the light. As she adjusted she saw something step through the doorway in front of her. There were three blurred figures. They each appeared to be male but Rochelle could not make out any distinct facial features through the haze of the lights. The three men walked around Rochelle, stepping behind her where she could not see. As her eyes finally adjusted, she felt her table suddenly tilt backward and she found herself facing the blinding light on the ceiling. The three figures began bending over Rochelle, their faces silhouetted behind the bright light. They appeared to be adjusting her restraints, checking her vital signs and preparing something in the background. Rochelle felt something damp dab against her arm. Moving her head as much as she could, she could see one of the silhouettes holding a small syringe. As he pushed the plunger slightly, sending some of the substance that was inside through the air, he lowered the needle down to where he had sterilized her arm. Rochelle immediately began to struggle but it was in vain as she felt the needle pierce her skin and what was inside it enter her bloodstream.

As the unknown substance spread through Rochelle's body, she stopped her struggling. Her restraints were too tight and her will was too weak. Rochelle suppressed her desire to continue lashing out as she wanted to conserve her strength. Taking deep breaths, she lay there blinded and disoriented while trying to calm down. As her pulse started to relax and her breathing became less laboured, Rochelle closed her eyes, allowing herself to rest.

'Wake up,' said a familiar voice. Rochelle opened her eyes to see who it was. Although the people around her were still blurry, she could tell that none of them were Ghost. The voice speaking to her was one of clear, unshakable authority. As the deep voice spoke again, Rochelle immediately recognised it. It was the voice of her former leader, the man who gave her orders back when she was a part of Shadow Guard; a man known as Walter Fudge. 'I won't have you dozing off on my time.'

'I'll have you know I wasn't asleep,' Rochelle retorted. 'These restraints make it hard to get comfortable.'

'I think I'd be forgiven for making sure you don't try and run off again,' Walter got his face close to hers, speaking with a false pompousness to his tone. 'What with you abandoning us for your criminal boyfriend.'

'He's not my boyfriend,' Rochelle muttered. Walter made an audible smirk.

'Of course he isn't...'

'Why did you send Vinnie to pick me up?' Rochelle asked. 'I mean surely you've got better things to be worrying about? I mean if you've got helicopters you could get the hell out of here couldn't you?'

'We can't leave the country,' Walter explained. 'It would appear that the nations of the world wish to keep everyone who was stuck in the infection zone right where they belong, including those who have devoted their lives to serving their governments.' Walter took a breath, sighing with a clear tone of bitterness. He was very angry about this issue. 'If someone tries to fly out of the country then they are shot down. If they attempt to sail then they are sunk. Rochelle, the only thing I have left are the memories of my old life and the resentment that I have been holding onto because of you.'

'Oh please!' Rochelle exclaimed. 'Talk about clutching at straws!'

'I beg your pardon?'

'Come off it, Fudgy! I chose Nick over you and the Guard, get over it. You can't blame your downfall on me, can you?'

'Actually I can,' Walter corrected her. 'When you completely disregarded your directive you left the evidence against the Director of CEDA and the only pure sample of the virus that anyone had been able to obtain get lost. Without the evidence, the Director was free to get away with his crimes of releasing the virus in the States and without the sample we were unable to create a vaccine that would have prevented the outbreak in Europe.'

'There was an outbreak in Europe?' Rochelle asked. Walter sighed.

'Yes; in London. While it was contained, thousands lost their lives and London is now quarantined. It could have been prevented if you had followed through with your mission rather than just throwing it all away.'

'So that's why you've brought me here?' Rochelle hypothesised. 'You want to teach me a lesson for turning my back on you?'

'That's pretty much the size of it,' Walter acknowledged. Rochelle sighed, shaking her head.

'I thought you were better than that.'

'Oh no!' Walter proclaimed. 'I'm not letting you use your mind games on me.' He glanced to one of the men he was with. 'Give her another shot.'

'But sir,' the man protested, 'if we overload her the results could be...'

'I don't care! Just do as I say, God damn it!' The man obliged and prepared another syringe.

'What are you injecting me with?' Rochelle asked Walter as he went to step away. 'Is it too optimistic to think its medicine?' Walter shot her a sly look.

'It is something that will make you extra special,' he told her, grinning. Walter walked out of the room as Rochelle was injected for the second time. A sudden insecure feeling washed over her as she felt the needle pierce her skin. Rochelle was now certain that Walter Fudge did not want to kill her, a fact that terrified her.

...

Ellis had moved the tour bus away from the edge of the chasm and hid it in between the trees. Coach had called a meeting that everyone, even Nick, found themselves attending. The Midnight Riders were discussing how they could get to the Devil Fortress. Drake had suggested they try to jump the vast distance in the bus. Ellis suggested they find a helicopter of their own to fly across. Teek suggested they pretend to be infected so that they could walk through the crowd below unnoticed. Needless to say, the ideas were becoming progressively worse and time was running increasingly short.

'We have pipe bombs,' Nick pointed out. 'Maybe we could climb down, use the beeping bombs to lure the zombies away and then run while their backs are turned.'

'No way,' Norah shook her head. 'With the amount of zombies down there, we'd need an infinite supply of bombs and we only have five. Those are hardly enough to get us through.'

'The guys running this fortress are obviously tooled up,' Teek commented. 'I've been around this area before when I was a Messenger and I heard stories of the guys creating that large chasm using explosives. If they can afford to blow a hole around their base that size then I don't think five pipe bombs are going to get us in.'

'And if we somehow got ourselves access to a helicopter or something,' Danielle added, 'I guess they'd be all over us before we even land.'

'We could sneak onto one of the choppers?' Drake suggested. 'When they take off and fly over the trees we could climb to the top and just grab on.' His suggestion was met with silence.

'Look this isn't getting us anywhere,' Coach leant forward on the table. 'We can't go through the canyon because of the zombies and we can't fly over because they'll either shoot us down or detain us when we touch down.'

'We could use them pipe bombs then?' Ellis suggested.

'People aren't attracted to pipe bombs like the zombies,' Nick told him.

'Well I kinda like the noise...' Ellis muttered.

'Come to think of it,' Norah had a sudden thought, 'if we were expecting trouble for when we landed we could use a pipe bomb to lure the zombies out, taking care of the people who would come out to detain us.'

'That'd be a good plan,' Coach nodded, 'but them bitches can't climb so it'd only be the flying ones that'd come up...' Coach's speech trailed away slightly. He had a sudden thought of his own. He looked to Nick. 'When your dad exposed himself to the virus sample he turned into one of them flying things didn't he?'

'Yes he did,' Nick told him. 'Why?'

'Well during that time he was strong enough to pick you up, wasn't he?'

'Where are you going with this?'

'I reckon we could use the carrot on the stick method.'

'God damn it, Coach,' Danielle cried suddenly. 'Stop speaking in riddles and tell us what's on your mind!' Coach gave her a sly look.

'If you're riding a horse and you want to motivate and control it, you dangle a carrot on a stick in front of it. If we could somehow get grabbed by one of the Soarers then we could use the beeping of the pipe bomb to direct it where to fly, like toward the Devil Fortress.'

'Sweet Jesus,' Nick chuckled. 'You can't be serious.'

'It's as good a plan as any,' Drake pointed out.

'It sure is...' Norah attempted to think of the appropriate word. 'Inventive.'

'You betcha,' Ellis grinned. 'I'm up for that.'

'Good,' Coach looked at him. 'You're the only one who can fly a helicopter so we'll be using one of theirs to get back to this side.'

'Wait just a second!' Nick exclaimed. 'You can't start choosing the party who will be going there! We've not agreed whether this is a good plan or not!'

'Nick,' Coach looked at him with intense seriousness in his eyes. 'We have such little time to think about this. If you have a better idea I'd gladly take it but seeing as how your last suggestion was use five pipe bombs as the sole weapon in the army of zombies I'm going to bet that that won't happen anytime soon.' Nick fell silent. 'Me and Ellis will go,' Coach announced. 'Norah, Drake and Teek will also come since we have five pipe bombs. Nick is still injured and will have to stay here while Danielle takes care of him.'

'Thanks for the good jobs,' Danielle muttered.

'We need to prepare to meet heavy resistance,' Coach told his team. 'Get prepared for a bloodbath. We're not letting anyone stand between us and Rochelle.'

Everyone nodded at Coach when he finished speaking and they all stood up to prepare for the dangerous task ahead. Nick remained seated as he was still unable to move much on his own. He had a look of quiet displeasure on his face. As he sulked, Coach, Norah, Ellis, Drake and Teek each armed themselves with heavy weapons and plentiful amounts of ammunition. Ellis modified the pipe bombs so their possession so that they would not explode after the beeping was activated. As each of them took the modified explosive, they stepped outside and moved toward the chasm leaving Nick and Danielle behind to secure the bus. Coach stood at the edge of the chasm and extended his arm, holding the pipe bomb. He looked to everyone else and nodded. They each in unison activated the beeping.

Down below the horde of infected began screeching as they heard the noise from high above. The common infected attempted to climb the earth but were unable to get very far before they fell down. Hunters tried leaping up at the Midnight Riders but found themselves falling flat rather quickly. The Soarers flew high above the crowd and went straight up toward Coach and the others. Coach narrowed his eyes as he saw a large group of Soarers approaching him quickly.

Coach and the others allowed themselves to be grabbed by the Soarers and taken off into the air. As each of them were taken away, they made sure to keep one of their heavy weapons free. Using the beeping pipe bombs, the Midnight Riders held out their arm in the direction that they wanted the infected to fly, over toward the Devil Fortress. As the infected turned around and flew toward the beeping, the survivors were taken away from the safe ground and held perilously over the deep chasm. Norah closed her eyes, feeling sick as she looked down. Ellis held onto his cap, enjoying the view. Despite the precariousness of the situation, he let out a loud cheerful cry as he and the others flew majestically over toward the other side. Ellis felt uplifted as he got closer to his destination. Norah felt slightly queasy, hoping for it to be over soon. Drake and Teek were slightly nervous but chuckling with delight; they really did feel like they were flying. Coach felt nothing but a sense of determination. As his Soarer flew over the ground on the other side, the Soarer suddenly lurched and released Coach, letting out a cry of pain. Danielle back near the bus had shot the infected with a sniper rifle. She did the same thing to the others as they reached safety and when they landed they hastily deactivated their pipe bombs and kicked the Soarers over the edge of the chasm. They had made it and were standing on the ground in front of the fortress, hidden in between the numerous helicopters that were parked there.

'We don't have a lot of time,' Coach spoke with a hushed voice. He looked to Ellis and Teek. 'You two need to sabotage all of these helicopters; make sure that they can't chase after us when we make our escape. Norah, Drake and I will get Rochelle back and we'll meet up on the roof where we'll take that helicopter to safety. Any questions?'

'Let's just do this!' Ellis exclaimed enthusiastically. Coach nodded and they all split up. Ellis and Teek each ran to take on a helicopter each. There were six outside in total and Ellis hoped it would not take too long to sabotage them all. Coach, Norah and Drake quietly ran around the side of the building, ducking beneath windows and turning a corner at the far end, searching for a back door. They found one as they reached the rear of the building. It was a set of warehouse type shutter doors that were fully open. Coach peered around the corner and saw a large amount of weapons, ammunition and supplies stacked up neatly along the walls and forming modest stacks along the main floor. There were a few people inside, tending to the supplies. One of them was walking in Coach's direction, making him lean back out of sight.

'I'm just going for a smoke,' the man told his co-workers. Stepping out and walking right by Coach and the others without even noticing them, he stood by the chasm drop and lit a cigarette. Before he had a chance to take a single puff, Drake kicked the man in the back of the knee making him stumble. He put his arm around his neck and held his pistol to his head. Dropping the cigarette, the man gasped. 'Who are you?' he spoke with a voice full of fear. Drake dragged him away from the doors.

'I'm the kid who has just pulled one over on you,' Drake told him, speaking as menacingly as he could. Norah chuckled silently as she heard Drake speak like that. 'I'm going to ask you a couple of questions,' Drake continued as he stopped pulling the warehouse worker away from the doors. 'If I think you're lying then I'm going to do this.' Drake pushed the man over the edge of chasm making him cry out in fear. He dangled there, his feet resting on the side of the drop and Drake's hand held tight on his collar, preventing him from falling to his death. Holding him there tightly, Drake put the gun to his back. 'I think you people have a friend of ours; a black girl called Rochelle.'

'Yes!' the man cried. 'Yes we do! She's on the fourth floor, in the interrogation room.' Drake sighed and pulled the man back. He sounded almost disappointed.

'You gave it all up too easily,' he told him. 'I couldn't even have any fun with you... oh well.' Drake struck the man in the back of the head and dragged him away from the edge. Coach and Norah exchanged nervous looks with each other after watching him.

Meanwhile, Ellis informed Teek that he had found an efficient way of ruining the helicopters.

'Puncturing the gas tank is all well and good but if you cut these wires here then the rotors won't be able to spin properly and they'll never even turn on. We can be done with all of them in about five minutes.'

'Good,' Teek acknowledged. 'I feel really exposed out here.'

'Don't worry,' Ellis said reassuringly. 'Danielle's got our back.' Danielle had Ellis in the sights of her sniper scope. She was scanning the area, looking for any signs of trouble. She should have been looking behind her as a Smoker emerged from the trees and wrapped its tongue around her, dragging her away and into the trees. Danielle let out a call for help and Nick, who was sat inside the bus, heard it. He stood up quickly, wincing in pain as he did so. He took his assault rifle and went outside. He saw the Smoker dragging Danielle toward it and unleashed a hail of bullets that disposed of it rapidly. As Nick went to help her up, a Hunter leapt from the trees and pounced onto him. Nick fired a few shots blindly as he fell to the ground, the shots being heard by Ellis who looked into the distance worriedly. Knowing that there was nothing that he could do, Ellis continued to work on the helicopters.

Danielle got to her feet, kicked the Hunter off Nick and shot it at point blank range with her sniper rifle. As it lay dead, she stumbled a bit and used the sniper rifle to keep herself standing. Looking down she saw that the stitching on Nick's earlier gunshot wounds had ripped and he was bleeding profusely. Danielle put her hand on her stomach, breathing heavily. One of Nick's stay bullets had hit her, a fact she realised when she looked at the blood on her hand. Nick was unconscious and would surely bleed to death if his stitches were not re-applied. With laboured breathing, Danielle pulled Nick back into the bus.

Inside the warehouse, Coach and the others were silently sneaking through the stacks. They had not been spotted by anyone as they slipped inside and were now making their way toward a large set of double swing doors. They were close to the doors but a man was stood nearby making it impossible for them to head through the doors without being spotted.

'What should we do?' Norah whispered to Coach.

'I got an idea,' Drake told them, taking a box of handgun bullets from the nearby shelf. 'This is a little trick I learnt from those many hours of playing Splinter Cell.' He threw the box into the air, over the man and toward the shelves behind him. The box landed on the ground with the bullets flying out of it, making a lot of noise as they did so. The man turned around to investigate the sound as the three slipped through the double doors and into the main building.

'We're inside,' Coach told them.

'Thanks, Lambert,' Drake commented slyly. Norah gave him a confused look.

'Let's not hang around,' Coach ordered. 'Let's get to that interrogation room.'

Inside the interrogation room, Rochelle was still lying on the table. Her forehead was damp with sweat. Despite her profuse perspiration she was shivering considerably.

'God damn it, Fudge,' she muttered. 'What have you done to me?' The two guards surrounding her were exchanging worried looks.

'Is she supposed to be reacting like this?' one of them asked.

'Of course she isn't,' the other responded. 'It's because he made me overdose her.'

'Well if she dies he'll hardly accept the blame himself, will he?'

'What should we do?'

'Walter Fudge!' Rochelle yelled out. 'You bastard! What were you packing in that needle?' Rochelle began to laugh uncontrollably. 'What is Fudge packing?'

'She's delirious, that's one of the final stages!'

'Let's give her some of the inhibitor; it might give us some time to fix her.'

'Good idea.'

Rochelle began convulsing on the table.

'Shit,' one of the guards yelled. 'Support her head, I'll give her the injection.' The first guard ran to Rochelle and held her head still as the rest of her body convulsed violently. The other prepared a syringe.

'Hurry up!' he cried. The guard made his way to Rochelle and dabbed her neck with the cotton wool.

As the needle got close to her neck, Rochelle's head broke out the guard's grip and she bashed the guard's arm, sending the needle upward. It lodged into his eye and the man began screaming in pain. Rochelle was able to use her teeth to take one of the pens that the guard had in his front breast pocket and as his comrade went to help him, she pushed the pen into the lock of one of her restraints and it popped open. As the guard with the syringe in his bloody eye fell to the ground, Rochelle freed herself in time for the remaining sentry to look around at her and see her foot kick him in the face.

Rochelle collected her thoughts and ran to the table that held the syringes and medicines that she had been injected with. The empty pots informed her that she has been injected with "V Sample 03" and "V-I-V Sample 01". Rochelle forced herself not to think about what the letters stood for and went to leave, taking the pistols that the guards had with her. She left the interrogation room but came to a halt on the other side of the door. Four armed guards were stood two feet away from her, aiming powerful assault rifles at her. In the background were several laboratory workers and Walter, who was looking particularly smug.

'I knew I should not have misjudged you,' he told her.

'Oh yeah?' Rochelle snapped back. 'Well you're hardly Judge Fudge are you?'

'Absurd television references aside,' Walter spoke with a tone of irritancy, 'I genuinely believed that you would do the right thing and atone for your betrayal.'

'What can I tell you?' Rochelle shrugged. 'I guess I'm just a massive bitch.' Pivoting on the spot, Rochelle kicked away some of the guards surrounding her. She lifted one of her handguns and shot dead one armed man while twisting her body and shooting another one. Jumping forward, she fired both guns at the same time, killing the remaining two men before moving over to Walter. As the laboratory personnel fled, Rochelle smacked Walter with the gun as he tried to get away from her. She kicked her leg up high, pinning his neck against the wall. Standing in that position, Rochelle tilted her body to aim one of the pistols at him. Walter gasped for as Rochelle's force on him was too strong. She stepped away from him, allowing him to breathe. 'What the hell have you injected me with?' Walter had a fit of coughing before he told her.

Continuing in their attempts at being clandestine, Coach and the others suffered an unwelcome shock when a loud alarm sound began ringing through the corridors and dark red flashing lights started bouncing from the walls.

'Oh come on!' Coach exclaimed. 'Who saw us?' Norah looked around and saw a group of heavily armed men turn a corner and spot them.

'They did,' she said, inviting the others to run as they chased after them. The Midnight Riders ducked through a doorway to avoid a flurry of bullets and found themselves face to face with a group of armed men in a small eating area.

'Oh please!' Drake cried. 'Who puts a cafeteria on the fourth floor anyway?'

Outside, numerous soldiers were marching toward the helicopters.

'Spread out and search the area!' yelled the commander who was smoking a cigar. As they each attempted to climb inside the vehicles and turn on the engine, they soon discovered the sabotage.

'Sir,' one of the soldiers called out. 'This chopper's been sabotaged.'

'Mine has as well,' said another solider.

'Me too!'

The commander saw the damage and his mouth fell open, the cigarette falling to the ground. He was beside the single helicopter that had its fuel tanks punctured and the lit stub ignited the ground, sending flames everywhere.

Inside the cafeteria, Coach began firing his shotgun blindly in any direction, causing the soldiers to disperse. As the ones who had been chasing them previously entered the room, Drake fired a few shots at them, causing them to take cover back outside. The three forced everyone to take cover and moved to the other end of the cafeteria where they entered the kitchen. The soldiers all got up after they had left and began chasing after them now having the time to take out their weapons. Running through the kitchen, the trio ran past hot stoves, steaming pots and a walk in freezer. Norah stopped for a moment, seeing that the freezer held trays of ice. She pulled it out and threw them across the floor before continuing to run forward. As their pursuers attempted to run through that section of the hallway they all slipped on the ice that was scattered all over the ground, falling from their feet. With these extra few moments, Coach and the others made it through the kitchen and came across an elevator. With nowhere else to go, they ran inside and pushed the single button on the control panel. The elevator began heading downward.

'Down?' Drake questioned, panting slightly. 'Why down?'

'It's better than back,' Norah told him. When the compartment stopped moving and the doors opened, the three were surprised to see that they were back in the warehouse on the first floor.

'God damn it!' Drake spat. 'This would have been good if we needed to escape!'

'Not to worry,' Coach shot the control panel inside the elevator. 'We can just stretch our legs some more.' The three left the elevator and the doors closed. As it started to head back up to the soldiers who had called it, the Midnight Riders had decided to do away with subtlety. By the double flap doors was the same man as before who was carrying about as usual, despite the state of alert. The three simply brushed past him.

'Hey!' he called out. 'Who are you? You need to stop right there.' Coach turned around, walking backward as he spoke to the man, holding his shotgun proudly.

'Come stop us,' he dared him. The warehouse worker did nothing as Coach and the others re-entered the building.

Rochelle heard the alarms blaring as Walter coughed, massaging his neck.

'You're running out of time, Fudgy,' she taunted him. 'What the hell did you inject me with?'

'I gave you something that would help you make amends,' Walter told her. Rochelle, curious, lowered one of the guns but kept the other pointed right at his head.

'Amends for betraying you?' Rochelle hypothesised.

'That's right,' Walter nodded. 'I gave you a mixture of a vaccine and an inhibitor.'

'What the hell for?'

'To work with the sample of the virus that I injected into your blood,' Walter told her. Rochelle's aim faltered.

'What?' she spoke with a put on cockiness that masked her sudden worry. 'When you sent me to Savannah I had already taken viral suppressors.'

'Yes, which means you were never naturally immune to infection,' Walter noted. 'We have not been able to acquire a pure sample of the virus like we had done before so we improvised with an impure sample from some of the special infected types. You were injected with it, meaning that you would soon turn into one of the infected.' Rochelle felt a surge of anger wash over her. Her hands trembling, she was doing everything that she could to not pull the trigger of the gun. She forced herself to lower it and look away. Walter stepped away from the wall, relaxing somewhat.

'How long do I have?' Rochelle asked.

'Well that's the thing,' Walter spoke with an unusual tone, one of hope. 'If everything has been done correctly you shouldn't die.'

'Come again?' Rochelle looked at him, confused.

'That is why we gave you the viral suppressors and vaccines,' Walter explained. 'We want to create an immunisation for this infection. Scientists worldwide have been able to identify the certain genetic markers and all of that mumbo jumbo that makes some people naturally immune but they were still no closer to making a cure or vaccine. Since you were never naturally immune, I thought a good plan would be to create a hot zone in your body, a mixture of the potent virus and the vaccination. In short, you are infected with the virus but you will not become one of those beasts outside because the inhibitors and vaccinations will keep you safe. When your body accepts the virus over time, we will be able to use your blood to create a vaccine and maybe even a cure for those who are already infected.' Rochelle took a step back, thinking. Unsure of what to say she began asking questions.

'Why me?' Rochelle asked.

'I felt you deserved a chance to redeem yourself,' Walter told her.

'Yeah but come on,' she exclaimed. 'Taking all that time to find me, kidnapping me, holding me prisoner... it would have been so much easier to just use one of your own guys as a test subject.'

'You used to be one of my people,' Walter pointed out. 'And there are complications that I did not want to risk with anyone else.'

'What do you mean?' Rochelle frowned.

'The virus is inside your body,' Walter explained. 'There is a good chance that you could pass it on to other people unintentionally.'

'I'm contagious?' Rochelle questioned him.

'The virus can only pass from you to someone else if you exchange DNA.'

'I beg your pardon?' Rochelle's mouth fell open.

'Say if you were to bite someone or even scratch them; they could get the virus,' Walter explained. 'Intimacy could also do it as could a casual touch or even a kiss. The virus is changing inside your body so while you'll be safe from it, if you were to pass it onto someone else, even if they were immune, they would most likely get it.'

'How long will I be like this?' Rochelle asked him, her voice breaking.

'Until you die,' was Walter's response. Rochelle took a step toward him and he recoiled instantly, backing up against the wall. Breathing heavily, Rochelle thought about the implications of what Walter had just said. She could never touch anyone again. If she did then she would infect them with the virus that had destroyed the world. Her thoughts fell on Nick. She did not know if he was alive or not but a part of her suddenly wished that she would never see him again. A tear fell down Rochelle's cheek and Walter looked at her sympathetically. 'Think of it this way,' he told her. 'You'll be saving the world.' Rochelle lunged forward and grabbed him by the neck.

'I don't want to save the fucking world,' she hissed at him before pulling him close to her and biting him in the shoulder. Walter let out a cry as her teeth sunk into his skin. Opening her mouth, Rochelle allowed him to fall to the floor, spitting out a mouthful of blood. 'You should go see a doctor,' she told the quivering man. 'You don't know what diseases some people are carrying.' Rochelle walked past him and left the room, leaving Walter lying there with a look of fright on his face.

As Rochelle stepped out into the corridor, wiping the blood from her mouth, she looked down it and saw Coach, Norah and Drake running for her. Looking relieved to see her, they came to a stop in front of her.

'Rochelle!' Coach exclaimed, opening his arms to embrace her. Rochelle stepped away to avoid him touching her.

'It's really nice to see you guys but there are going to be people all over this place looking for us,' she covered her actions with the best explanation she could think of. 'We need to get out of here.'

'We have an escape on the rooftop,' Norah told her. The four broke out in a run and headed for the stairs.

On the rooftop; Ellis and Teek were under heavy fire from a group of soldiers who were shooting at them from the roof access doorway. Ellis had already started the engine of the helicopter and he and Teek were shooting back at their agitators.

'I'm running out of ammo!' Teek yelled at Ellis.

'I _have _run out of ammo!' Ellis cried back. Looking around, they saw the soldiers preparing to leave their cover and head for them. 'What do we do?' Teek shrugged. Ellis looked up and snapped his fingers. He pulled out his pipe bomb. 'How good is your aim?' he asked Teek.

As the soldiers kicked open the door to storm the rooftop, Ellis rolled the pipe bomb toward them. As it came to a halt right by the first solider, Teek took a shot at it and it exploded, ripping apart the entire roof access area. Down the stairs, Coach and Norah exchanged looks.

'I guess the others are ready for us,' said Norah.

Everyone emerged on the rooftop, joining Ellis and Teek who were excited to see them. Ellis ran to embrace Rochelle but she declined, telling him that they had plenty of time to hug later. With everyone safely inside the helicopter, Ellis lifted off from the rooftop and flew away from the building. Flying over the flaming helicopters below at the front, the Midnight Riders felt confident that they would not be followed anytime soon. Landing back on the other side of the chasm, Ellis deactivated the helicopter engines and joined everyone as the stepped out of it.

'How did you guys find me?' Rochelle asked, keeping a respectable distance between her and others.

'We looked,' Ellis told her. Rochelle smiled at him and noticed the adoring way he was looking at her. 'We were not gonna stop until we found you.'

'From the looks of it we shouldn't have bothered,' Norah shrugged. 'How did you manage to break out?'

'Oh you know me,' Rochelle sighed attempting to sound casual. 'I'm sneaky.'

'Nothing sneaky about the way we left,' Drake commented.

'Either way I appreciate you coming to get me,' Rochelle said genuinely. 'I couldn't fly a helicopter out of there.' She looked to Coach. 'How is Nick doing?'

'He's good,' Coach told her. 'Danielle and Drake fixed him up while we were searching for you.'

'Thank God,' Rochelle sighed. She was grateful that he was alive but a part of her was dreading seeing him. Since they had shared a kiss all she wanted to do was be with him but now that was impossible. Ellis eyed Rochelle suspiciously as she looked overly relieved at Nick's news.

'Let's get out of here,' Norah suggested. 'I'm sure Nick and Danielle will be happy to see that you're safe.'

Moving away from the helicopter, everyone made their way through the woods to where the bus was parked. Ellis attempted to hold Rochelle's hand as he still believed that they were in a relationship but Rochelle continually rejected him. Arriving just outside of the bus, Rochelle went to go inside but stopped as Coach held out his arm, acting as a barrier. Rochelle wondered why he was stopping everyone from moving and quickly saw the reason, letting out a gasp. The door to the tour bus was wide open. A large trail of blood was going up the stairs and through the bus. Coach took his shotgun and slowly stepped toward the doorway. Everyone else became suddenly alert. Lifting one foot up, Coach stepped onto the first step. Taking another step up, Coach jumped into the bus in a quick flash. The trail of blood went over to the back of the bus where a figure was lying on the back table.

Norah was the next one into the bus. She and Coach stepped tentatively toward the rear of the bus. The blood trail led to the person sprawled over the table. It was dark so none of them could make out who it was. The blood became thicker as they got closer to the back. Rochelle and Ellis joined them inside the bus. Rochelle asked Ellis softly where the others were. Ellis gestured to the back table where the lifeless figure lay. Stepping back with fear, Rochelle allowed Ellis to pass by her, taking out a small flashlight. He stepped next to Coach and turned it on. The figure lying on the table was illuminated and Rochelle let out a cry as she saw who it was.

Nick was lying on the table, his eyes closed and head tilted to the side. He was covered in blood. Coach pushed past Ellis while Rochelle stumbled back in shock, falling into the driving seat. Norah shook her head in disbelief. Coach put his hands on Nick and gave him a shake.

'Nick!' he cried. 'Nick!' Ellis dropped the flashlight, turning away. Coach overcome with emotion rested his head on Nick's chest as tears fell down his face. As he stood there weeping, Coach felt a breeze on his face. He lifted his head up and saw Nick's chest moving up and down very gently as he breathed. Checking his pulse, Coach let out a cry of happiness, calling out to the others. 'He's just unconscious!' Rochelle looked up from her chair and let out an exhausted sigh. Ellis ran up to Nick to see if he was alright for himself. Norah stood there, looking around.

'Where did all this blood come from then?' she muttered to herself. Ellis saw Nick's chest was bare, with his shirt removed. The stitches on his gunshots had been reapplied. Norah saw that the door leading to hers and Danielle's room was slightly ajar. Pushing it open she let out a scream, making everyone turn around to investigate. Inside the room, Danielle was lying on her bed. Her eyes were wide open. Her skin was pale and discoloured. Blood was everywhere. A single gunshot wound was visible in her stomach. Norah knelt down next to Danielle, checking her pulse. As the others gathered to investigate, Norah looked up at them with teary eyes.

'She's dead.'

...

Night had fallen. The quiet silence was almost unbearable. Out in the open by the chasm, a neat straight grave had been dug. Four small portable lanterns had been placed at each corner of the grave, lighting up the area. Tiny insects danced around the lamps; innocent observers to the events that were taking place. Everyone was dressed as formally as they could. Long before when everyone had first met each other, they had all agreed to dress nicely should someone be taken away from the group. It had taken a while for everyone to find the perfect, respectful outfit over the past year. Coach had found a black suit that fitted him perfectly. Norah had a perfect long black dress that puffed out at the end. Ellis had found a slim fitting suit that lacked a tie, so he wore it with an open collar. It was identical to the one Nick would wear. Drake's formal attire was also slim fitting, but he only wore the dark trousers and white shirt, giving the jacket to Teek who had no formal clothes with him. It was a bit too small for him but Teek wore it anyway out of respect. Rochelle also lacked any formal clothes, but Norah suggested she wear Danielle's formal clothes of a feminine suit with a skirt as it would be what Danielle would have wanted. Everyone was dressed in their clothes and stood around the grave. Nick was sat up in a deckchair as he still could not move much. He was sat at the foot of the grave while Coach and Norah were at the head of it. Drake and Teek stood one side while Ellis and Rochelle were at the other. Danielle had already been lowered into the ground, covered in a soft, purple blanket. They all stood over her in silence. The silence was unbearable. It had to be broken but no one wanted to be the first to speak. Coach swallowed hard and took a breath.

'I think we all should say a few words,' his throat was dry and his voice weak. Clearing his throat he looked down at Danielle and closed his eyes. He thought back to how Danielle became one of the Midnight Riders. It was shortly before Rochelle left to join Thomas Galt's people. They were at a Haven that had just suffered a brutal horde attack. Corpses lay on the ground and stray infected were still wandering the area. Coach, Norah, Nick, Ellis, Rochelle and Drake were doing what they could to help as many people as possible. Coach was performing CPR on a young woman who had been choked by a Smoker. With each chest compression and with every breath he gave her he felt his task was becoming increasingly futile. He had been trying for five minutes to revive her. Knowing his task was fruitless; Coach continued the task as the woman's young daughter was sat behind him, weeping uncontrollably. He must have been seven years old at the most. Coach had a sick feeling in his stomach. The girl was seven and she was not only living in this horrible new world but now she'd be living in it without her mother who had died horrifically in front of her. Coach sighed, straightening himself up and looking around to the girl.

'I'm sorry, sweetheart,' he told her. The girl let out a wail of sorrow, Coach knelt there, not sure of what to say or do.

That is when he met Danielle. She was running through the chaos when she saw Coach. Heading over to him she looked down at him.

'What the problem?' she asked, looking up to the crying girl. Her hair was a mess, her face was filthy and her clothes were tattered. She had no weapons, only a first aid box. Coach swallowed and looked down at the girl's mother.

'She was strangled by one of the zombies,' Coach informed her. 'She's dead.' The girl continued to cry. Danielle licked her lips, putting the box on the ground and opening it.

'There may be a chance,' she voiced her thoughts aloud.

'I've done CPR,' Coach informed her. 'There's nothing else anyone can do...'

'If she gets a shock to her system then she might come back,' Danielle said. 'I'm out of adrenalin... damn it!' She looked up and around. One of the market stalls nearby caught her eye. Jumping to her feet, Danielle ran past Coach and into the destroyed stall. She was muttering to herself as she searched for something. 'Come on, come on, come on... yes!' She retrieved two tiny vials of white substances and ran back to Coach. Kneeling down beside the woman she opened one of the vials and put some of the substance into a syringe. She then put some of the other powder into the syringe and mixed the two together.

'What's that?' Coach asked.

'Heroin and cocaine,' Danielle told him.

'What the hell?' Coach gasped.

'The only way this woman is going to wake up is if we administer a massive shock to her system,' Danielle explained. 'I'd rather use a defibrillator but I'm fresh out so this will have to do.' Danielle took the young woman's arm and removed the needle guard from the syringe. As she put the needle on top of a vain, Coach spoke up.

'Are you sure this is going to work?' he asked her. Danielle looked up at him.

'It's better than doing nothing, isn't it?' Danielle put the needle through her skin and pushed down on the plunger. She then removed the syringe, replaced the guard and then tossed it aside. She put her hands on the woman's chest and behind her head. 'Can you give me a hand here?' she asked. Coach obliged and held onto the woman tight. She suddenly began to convulse. The two held her down tight preventing her from hurting herself. The woman started to cough heavily and rolled onto her side. 'Sweetie,' Danielle spoke to her soothingly. 'I need you to lie down on the ground for me, okay?' The woman's daughter ran up to her. 'You need to rest here for a while, okay? You need to let the effects of the drugs wear off.'

Danielle stood up and took her first aid box, moving away from them. Coach glanced down at the girl and her mother and patted her on the head.

'Take care of your mom, okay?' he told her. Coach stood up and ran after Danielle. 'Hey!' he called out after her. Danielle stopped and turned around, facing Coach. 'How did you know where to get drugs?'

'The drug stalls are all the same,' Danielle told him. 'The people I was with before visited them frequently...' Her voice trailed away.

'You lost them in the fight?' Coach asked her. Danielle sighed and nodded, pushing her lips together. She was clearly holding back how upset she was.

'I need to keep working,' she told Coach. 'I can grieve later.' As she said these words her lips trembled. Closing her eyes, tears fell down her cheeks and she dropped the first aid box. Danielle held her hands to her face as she stood there quietly weeping. Coach approached her and put his arms around her in a gentle embrace. Danielle accepted his hug and cried gently in his arms for a few minutes.

As Danielle composed herself after several moments she and Coach sat down. After introducing themselves to each other, Coach asked Danielle about herself.

'You were awesome back there,' he complimented her.

'I'm a doctor,' Danielle told him before stopping and re-evaluating what she said. 'I was a doctor. I like to help as many people as possible.'

'I can see that,' Coach nodded. 'You were really good.'

'Thanks,' Danielle smiled weakly. 'Are you a Clan leader or something?'

'I wouldn't say that,' Coach told her. 'It's just me and five others. We're just helping each other survive.'

'That's nice,' Danielle smiled.

'Want to join us?' Coach's offer was so sudden it made Danielle sit back in shock.

'What?' she asked.

'We need to take care of each other,' Coach told her. 'You care about people, I can see that. That's what I look for when looking for people to join us.' Danielle blushed.

'I don't know,' she sighed.

'I don't want you to be out here on your own,' Coach told her. 'Can you survive on your own?'

'I...' Danielle stopped speaking. 'I don't know...'

'Come meet my friends,' Coach offered her. 'If you don't like us then you don't have to stay.' Danielle sighed and nodded.

'Why are you being so nice?' she asked him.

'We all have to stick together,' he told her.

Those words stuck in Coach's mind as he looked down into Danielle's grave. He began speaking.

'Danielle was an important member of our team. She was a skilled doctor, a good tactical planner...' he paused, holding back emotion. '...and a really good friend. She was kind, caring and would do anything for someone in need. When I first met her she tried her hardest to save the life of someone that she didn't even know because that was the kind of person she was. That's the kind of person we've lost and we'll never be able to replace her.' He sighed and looked down at her. 'When we first met I told her that we all need to stick together. She's dead because the world keeps trying to tear us apart.' He looked up at everyone. 'We can't let this happen again. We will not let her death be in vain. We will take this as a lesson. We will never let this happen again; we won't lose anyone else to the world full of corrupt people and evil zombies. The void left in her absence will serve as a reminder of how important togetherness is and what we need to do to stay together.' He let out a breath. 'You shouldn't have gone, Danielle. We will miss you.' Coach swallowed and stepped back away from the grave, lowering his head. Norah was the next to speak up.

'I was the closest with Danielle,' she told everyone. 'She was my best friend and...' She let out a faint whimper. 'I don't know what I'm going to do without her.' She began sobbing and Coach took her hand supportively.

'Anyone else want to say anything?' Coach opened up the floor. Rochelle spoke up.

'If it wasn't for me Danielle would probably still be alive,' she said. 'I know that I've brought a lot of tension to the group and have betrayed you before...' she took a calming breath. 'Even though you all have every right to hate me, Danielle was always nice to me. She understood me and wanted to get along with me.' She let out a faint sob. 'It's my fault that she's dead and I regret that I can't pay back her kindness toward me.' Drake decided to speak next.

'Danielle treated me like a son,' he told everyone. 'She took care of me and made me feel useful with everyone.' He sighed. 'When I first joined you guys I felt like I wasn't really adding anything to you. When she joined she started to teach me things like first aid and stuff... She made me feel useful and I'll always be grateful for it.' Drake held back some emotion. Teek rested his hand on his shoulder and affectionately squeezed it. Teek declined to say anything as he had not known Danielle for very long. Everyone glanced over to Nick who was the only one who was yet to say anything. He sighed, licking his lips.

'I don't know what to say,' he said. 'A stay bullet of mine killed her... So it's really my fault that she's dead.' Everyone was silent. 'I was taken down by a Hunter and must have accidentally shot her... My stitches ripped and I was bleeding to death... Danielle could have saved herself most likely and she chose to save my life over her own.' He sighed. 'I guess what I'm saying is that I'm the one who killed her and I'm also the one who she saved.' Norah gave Nick an unusual look. 'I guess that sums her up right there. She thought of others over herself. She's the reason I'm still alive.'

Nick tried to say something else but found that the words could not come out. Everyone remained silent. Without saying another word, Coach and Ellis began layering earth over Danielle's body. When it was done, Drake and Teek flattened out the ground while Norah placed a wooden cross with Danielle's name at the head of the grave. Everyone stepped away from it and had a moment of quiet reflection. Drake and Teek were the first to leave the grave. Coach and Ellis were the next two to go, leaving Norah, Rochelle and Nick. Norah turned away after a while and went back toward the bus. As Nick sat there in his chair, Rochelle put her hand on his shoulder. Nick closed his eyes, and moved his hand to rest on hers. Rochelle pulled it away before their skin touched, feeling horrible for doing it.

'It's not your fault,' she told him, her voice croaking with held back grief.

'It is,' Nick spoke with a tone of definite finality. Rochelle wanted to say something to change his mind but could not. She wanted to hug him but she could not. She wanted to kiss him but she could not. Tears fell from her eyes and patted him on the back.

'I'll leave you alone for a while,' she told him. Rochelle left Nick alone by the grave sat in the lights of the tour bus. He stared at the wooden headstone for what felt like hours. He felt angry, he felt sad and he felt responsible.

Most of all, he felt absolutely useless.

...

...

_**Chapter Six is coming up sooner than chapter five did. I hope it was worth the wait, let me know what you think! Stay tuned for the next installment. The survivors still have a lot more to lose... **_

_**Andy**_


	8. One Year Ago

_**The Midnight Riders**_

Chapter Six – One Year Ago

Something happened one year ago. Away from the infected wasteland that was the United States of America and nestled comfortably back in civilization, something happened that would change the world once again. The witnesses to this event were numerous and the heated discussions and debates that would happen in its wake were infinite. In the months that would follow; children would read about it in school while their parents would be told about it in the newspapers. Politicians would use the issue as a way to get themselves noticed while talk show hosts would devote entire episodes to it. When the director of CEDA released the same virus that devastated America throughout the city of London one year ago he set into motion events that he could never have anticipated. When he kidnapped Louis one year ago he never imagined that it would cause the bond he shared with Bill, Francis and Zoey to strengthen in ways that were truly admirable. As his disease took the life of Admiral Richard Jaeger one year ago he could not comprehend that his death would drive people who did not know each other to team up to battle the nightmare that he had created. While the Director had crafted his plan with immaculate precision and did not overlook one single detail he failed to see the gravity of his actions. His lack of foresight was fortunate to those who vowed to rebuild after he was gone. Despite his absence, the Director's actions made an impact on many people's lives one year ago. One of these people was Miguel Doyle.

As lieutenant commander Miguel Doyle sat in the Tactics Room of the HMS Jaeger he watched the two small icons that represented Madison and Malcolm slowly move across the map that was broadcast on the touch screen table display. He was gazing at the display with his resting in his hand while his free hand tapped the side of the monitor. He stared longingly at Madison's icon and sat forward to lean over and tap it. As he did so a window open up displaying a substantial amount of information regarding Madison's various statistics, mission reports and slightly more invasively; her personal life. Miguel flicked through the information until he found exactly what he was looking for. He tapped a section of the window entitled "The Waterloo Station Incident", expanding it to reveal the details of Madison's involvement of the quarantine situation in the City of London. Miguel did not have to read this to know about her involvement for two reasons. Firstly he had read it numerous times before but the second and arguably more important reason was because he had been there. Miguel Doyle had first encountered Madison Robinson on the other side of the quarantine fence on the outskirts of London. From the moment he had first laid eyes on her he had felt something very strong surge of affection in his heart.

One year ago Miguel Doyle was under the employ of the newly formed Bioterrorism Counter Force. He lived in a small village several miles away from London and travelled in by train every day to work. While it was mostly paperwork Miguel was a part of a select group of people who were authorised to carry firearms whenever he went out into the field to investigate something. He worked closely with the woman who had recruited him, Anna Shepherd, who was also the second in command of the BCF. Miguel thought it was her who was calling him at one hour past midnight since she was the one who was in charge of the office. He was surprised when he answered his telephone to hear the deep masculine voice of the director of the BCF talking to him. His tone was firm and professional as he spoke to Miguel while remaining completely unapologetic for waking him up at such an hour. Miguel had met his boss' boss once when he first joined the BCF. He was a tall, intense man who was very passionate about his work. In the single encounter Miguel had with him he got the strong impression that he was a man who was haunted by some dark demons and that the BCF was his way of getting rid of them. Miguel listened to him speak on the phone and took note of his orders while nodding frequently despite the fact that he could not be seen, something which was probably beneficial as Miguel was stood wearing nothing but his underwear. The conversation ended as his boss asked him if he understood his orders. Miguel did understand; get equipped and meet him outside the quarantine fence as soon as possible to be briefed for a mission. Miguel hung up the phone after he told his boss that he would arrive shortly and proceeded to get ready. Miguel hopped into his rarely used car as soon as he donned his slim fitting combat fatigues and armed himself with his FAMAS assault rifle and two USP pistols along with bountiful quantities of ammunition and gadgets. He arrived at the quarantine fence in just under half an hour. Miguel stepped out of his quiet car into a world of havoc and mayhem. The armed forces were keeping people at bay, preventing them from approaching the large metallic quarantine fence. Having parked near a congregation of news vans, Miguel made his way down what would have been a crowded motorway toward the quarantine fence, flashing his identification badge as his progress was impeded by several individuals who refused to let him pass. He finally reached his destination and saw his boss, a tall man with blonde hair who was stood by an idle helicopter holding a stack of folders. Miguel approached the man with a pace that was similar to marching. His attempts at appearing confident and professional were clearly ineffective. Miguel stopped in front of his boss and saluted him.

'Lieutenant Miguel Doyle reporting for duty, sir!' he said with his hand held up to his head. His boss looked at him and sighed, rolling his eyes. He spoke with a grating tone of voice.

'Damn it, Miguel, I know who you are!' cried Edward Deacon. 'And put your arm down!'

In the world before Edward Deacon was Secretary of Homeland Security Norah Hanham's most trusted colleague and friend. In the three months since he had escaped from America, Edward had become a powerful political figure after establishing the BCF. His face was worn after coming under a great deal of stress for the past three months. Edward worked very hard but he never believed that he worked hard enough. As he looked at the sight before him he believed this even more. London was a nightmare. Even from this distance the flickering light from the roaring fires that were dotted all over the city could be seen dancing up the sides of buildings. Thick smog had raised high above the city, the lower parts of it glowing a faint orange. Searchlights from swarms of military and civilian helicopters cut through the air, lighting up the lower ground.

'This whole thing's a mess...' Edward growled as he surveyed the scene before him.

'Just give the order,' Miguel spoke enthusiastically. Edward turned around to face him.

'I don't like you, Doyle.' Miguel was taken aback by his candidness. 'You always act like you've got something to prove.'

'Well to be honest, sir, I think that I have,' Miguel replied. 'Ever since you hired me the only jobs I've been assigned to are the meaningless ones; paperwork and the like. I feel like you don't trust me abilities.'

'You're right, Doyle, I don't,' Edward spoke with equal straightforwardness. 'However I'm stuck in a rut right now so you and Robinson are my only hope.'

'Robinson?' Miguel repeated.

'Madison Robinson,' Edward elaborated. 'She's a new hire. She should be arriving here in any moment.'

'Excellent,' Miguel muttered, walking to the side. He felt uneasy about working with someone, let alone someone he did not even know. He did not relish the idea of competing against this Madison Robinson. Even though that they were on the same team he needed to outshine her as this was his chance to show Edward that he was a capable agent. Miguel was dreading meeting her.

'Hey, I'm here,' a female voice called out from behind. 'What do you need?' Miguel turned around to see Madison Robinson for the first time.

She was tall and slender. Her brown hair was tied back in a long ponytail that ran down to her lower back. She was wearing a tight tank top that complimented the upper part of her figure flatteringly well. Her dark camouflage combat trousers had numerous pockets that contained various gadgets and devices. Two formidable looking pistols were tucked behind her trousers while a combat knife was neatly placed in a pouch that hung on the front of her trousers. It took Miguel a single moment and one look to become instantly attracted to her. Madison glanced over to him.

'Hey,' she nodded, ignoring the fact that he was staring at her breasts. Madison looked from Miguel over to Edward who was looking irritably at Miguel.

'For God's sake; stop checking her out and let's get to work!' He stood in between the two, with Miguel blushing considerably as he began to talk. 'Our agency has suffered considerable blows over the course of this evening,' he explained. 'So far the only agents we have confirmed to still be active are you two, the new boy Graham and Anna Shepherd.'

'Where is Shepherd?' Madison asked, glancing over through the fence. 'Don't tell me...'

'Why would I tell you what you can guess?' Edward shrugged. 'Her current position is underneath the CEDA building.'

'So you want us to get her out?' Miguel theorised.

'Yes,' Edward nodded. 'But that's not all.' He handed Madison and Miguel some of the folders with each receiving four each. One of the documents contained information about war veteran Bill while the others detailed the relevant aspects of his close friends, Francis, Louis and Zoey. Madison skimmed through the documents while Miguel scanned all the way through them with care.

'Who are they?' Madison asked.

'They're very important,' Edward told her. 'You two are going to pick them up as well as Shepherd.'

'Do we have a location for these guys?' Miguel asked. 'It'll be hard to track them in that nightmare.'

'Hard, but not impossible.' Edward had a glimmer in his eye. 'Graham's flying overhead, tracking them by chopper. He's not been able to land as of yet but... what the hell is that noise?'

A piercing roaring sound could suddenly be heard over the hum of the distant helicopters and the local din. A bright light in the sky was stabbing through the darkness leaving a faint trail in its wake. It flew over them and went high above the City of London. Edward narrowed his eyes as he watched the glowing light shoot over his head and toward the centre of the city. It looked as though it was half a mile above the ground.

'Is that a missile?' Madison voiced what was on everyone's minds. It was. As the missile was high above the direct centre of London it suddenly exploded. A large blue flash was followed by a rather powerful shockwave. The shockwave descended onto London and as it went through the buildings and streets, lights were extinguished and sirens silenced. Every electronic device was nullified and on the streets, Bill and the others looked up to see the helicopter that held their comrade Graham suddenly lose all life. The engine conked out as the city was plunged into darkness and it began to fall to the ground. Bill ushered everyone into a nearby looted store as the helicopter fell toward them. It crashed onto the ground, rotors shattering with the force of the impact. The massive lump of metal rocketed toward Bill who jumped out of the way just before he was flattened. It ploughed through several common infected before crashing into an overturned bus and bursting into flames. Bill and the others emerged from the looted shop and approached the wreckage.

Back out on the other side of the quarantine fence, all electrical devices short-circuited with a blast from the shockwave. Edward stumbled slightly while Miguel and Madison remained upright.

'Son of a bitch,' Edward spat. 'What the hell are they up to now?'

'It's a general order, sir,' a solider standing behind the trio informed them. They turned around to face him. He was tall and very muscular. 'The Prime Minister doesn't want any potential infected or carriers to escape.'

'Well no one does,' Edward cried, wailing with disbelief at the stupidity of what had just happened. 'But frying all of our electrical devices will only make things worse!'

'With all due respect, sir, the Prime Minister knows what he is doing.'

'Like hell he does,' Edward muttered. 'He hasn't been knee high in zombie parts.'

'With respect,' the soldier repeated, 'I believe that you are too emotionally invested in this situation to think things through clearly. The Prime Minister has ordered me to relieve you of your duty.'

'Oh I can't believe this is happening,' Madison muttered, shaking her head at the soldier. Edward stepped close to the solider, their faces inches apart. Miguel got the impression that something was about to happen but instead Edward merely sighed and turned around.

'I guess we have no choice but to resign ourselves over to the government in this case,' he told them.

'You're joking?' Madison asked in total disbelief.

'Of course I fucking am!' Edward cried, pivoting on the spot and punching the soldier in the face, knocking him to the ground unconscious. He held his fist for a moment, his teeth gritted in pain.

'You alright?' Miguel asked him.

'Of course,' Edward wiped a single tear from his eye. 'Now let's get to work. The damn Brits have made things more difficult for us.'

As Edward led Miguel and Madison down the congregation of vehicles outside of the quarantine zone away from the fence, Francis and Louis were trying to pull open one of the helicopter doors to look inside for survivors. Bill and Zoey were keeping the infected at bay but the crash had caused quite the racket. A Smoker found an opening through the crowd of infected and launched its tongue at Francis who was pulling on the door. When it pulled him away it pulled the door off with it.

'Thanks Francis,' Louis said, fully aware that he was being dragged off.

'Someone shoot that bastard or I swear to God I'll...' Francis' shouting was cut off by Zoey shooting the Smoker dead. 'Thanks,' Francis told her as she lifted him up. Glancing back to the helicopter, Zoey looked concerned as Louis ventured inside the wreckage to look for her former lover. 'Look out!' Francis cried. Zoey was not paying attention to the fight and so she did not notice the two common infected getting close to her. She snapped her head back to see them and jumped back, stumbling to the ground. As she fell she fired two shots from the double pistols and hit the infected in the face.

'A little help here!' Bill requested as he was becoming overrun with the beasts. Francis told Bill to duck as he fired his shotgun over his head. 'That's alright, Francis; I don't need my hearing. Not really.' As he was crouched to the ground, Bill used his assault rifle to cut through the infected by shooting their legs, making them stumble. Louis poked his head from the wreckage and called out to someone.

'He's still alive!' he cried, referring to Graham. As Zoey got to her feet she breathed a sigh of relief. As Francis went the help him she quickly realised that her sense of relief was premature as she spotted a Charger in the distance. It was on fire and it was storming toward them.

'Oh Jesus...' she muttered.

Louis stepped out of the wreckage while Francis helped Graham out by gently pushing him from the inside. Louis took his arm to support him. Bill and Zoey merged into the same position, standing close to attract the Charger's attention.

'Fella's we gotta get out of here right now!' Bill cried.

'We know, Bill,' Louis told him.

'It's just one of them things with the huge arm is coming right for us.'

'We know, Bill,' Francis told him, sounding uneasy as he helped Graham from the helicopter.

'I mean it's about to plough right into us!' Bill yelled.

'For shit's sake, we know Bill!' Zoey screamed, jumping onto him to push him out of the way of the Charger. It missed them by inches and crashed straight into the helicopter. Francis and Louis had managed to pull Graham out of the way just before they crossed paths with the infected. As the Charger broke through the metal of the helicopter its flaming body ignited the leaking gasoline pool that was under it. All of the survivors were knocked off their feet as the helicopter exploded sending shrapnel and debris everywhere.

The sound of explosions and screams were reaching the quarantine fence and the safe area beyond. Edward, Miguel and Madison were walking away from the perimeter. In a distance there was a sea of vehicles where the lights were still flashing, obviously out of reach from the ill advised EMP device.

'That one,' Edward pointed to a large, bulky news van. 'Who's a good driver?'

'I am,' Miguel answered.

'Madison it is, then,' Edward ordered. 'I want someone who can crash into things to knock them out of the way without hesitating.'

'Oh I can do that,' Madison nodded. The three approached the news van and Madison hopped into the driver's seat. When the two news crew began to protest, Edward held his hands up.

'I'm commandeering this vehicle under article... uh, three-seven of the... Oh I can't be bothered to invent laws. Just claim it on insurance.' Edward hopped into the front passenger's seat and Madison began to drive away. She got about ten yards before coming to an abrupt halt as she saw Miguel chasing after them. She waited for him to hop in the back with all of the equipment before driving off again.

'Thanks for waiting,' Miguel said sarcastically. 'I was trying to come in through the back doors.'

'And here's me thinking I was the only one who swung that way,' Edward commented, pointing to the quarantine fence up ahead. 'See the fence?'

'I see the fence,' Madison nodded.

'I don't want to see the fence,' Edward told her.

'Are we going to ram there fence?' Miguel asked. There was a sudden crash.

'What fence?' Madison shrugged as the three broke through the perimeter and entered the quarantine zone toward the city.

Miles ahead of them at the helicopter crash site all of the infected had been knocked back due to the explosion. Bill and Zoey were lying unconscious on the ground. Graham was out cold but Francis and Louis were in considerably better shape as they had managed to get further away from the explosion. They pulled Graham back into one of the side shops out of danger as they went back for Bill and Zoey. With everyone safely tucked away, Francis and Louis exchanged nervous glances.

'What do we do now?' was the question Louis dreaded to ask.

'No idea,' was the answer Francis dreaded giving. 'We're outnumbered; three to two. We can't carry all of these guys out of here.'

'Well what do you suggest?' Louis hissed. 'We leave one of them behind?' Graham's injuries appeared to be incredibly severe. Even if he was rescued there would be no guarantee that he would survive. Bill and Zoey's wounds did not appear to be fatal. They did not have any broken bones or acute bleeding. They just appeared to be out cold. 'We can't stay here for too long. We're short on ammo; we have to keep moving.'

'We can't really defend ourselves while lugging these guys around,' Francis pointed out. 'We'd be overrun in seconds.'

'Maybe one of us could go out for supplies and come back?' Louis suggested.

'Maybe that person would get torn to shreds on their own,' Francis told him. Louis sighed and sat back.

'So either we ran and die or wait and die?' he summarised.

'That's pretty much the size of it,' Francis nodded, attempting to sound light hearted.

'Damn,' Louis chuckled. It was an ironic laugh. 'I finally get Zoey and now we're all about to die.'

'That's what your whole relationship was built on, man,' Francis told him before his tone shifted to one of sarcasm. 'You don't get dates more romantic than zombies eating your face off after a Boomer's just puked all over you.'

'It's not like that!' Louis protested. 'I mean, yeah, we broke up after we were rescued but that was because we both didn't know what we wanted.'

'It was because you and her just don't get along,' Francis told him, glancing around to see if there were any infected nearby. Satisfied that they were not he turned back to Louis so that he could elaborate. 'When people are forced together in situations like these it's only natural to start developing feelings toward each other. Hell; I'd probably be after Bill given enough time. You can't have serious relationships based on extreme circumstances. You can't base your relationship on fighting zombies.'

'That's not we'd base it on!' Louis protested once more. 'We have a lot in common.'

'Zombies,' Francis said.

'No!' Louis insisted. 'We... share common interests.'

'Staying alive?'

'No!' Louis paused. 'Well... yes, okay but not like that. We like the same things.'

'Guns?'

'Yes but things non-zombie related like...'

'Sex?'

'Well we've not had sex yet...'

'You've not had sex?' Francis exclaimed. Louis gave him a dire look that told him to be quiet, not in case one of the infected heard him but in case Zoey did somehow in her unconscious state. 'Shit, man,' Francis let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. 'You're not even basing it on sex?'

'We've got a healthy relationship,' Louis told him, his tone growing weary with the conversation. 'We talk a lot and we've found out that our friends are similar.'

'Me and Bill,' Francis commented.

'Our other friends!' Louis spat. 'It just shows that we're similar types of people and that we'll get on well when we get to know each other.'

'Aha!' Francis cried. 'You don't know each other!'

'Yeah...' Louis nodded. 'So what? Isn't that what relationships are about? Getting to know each other?'

'What I mean is that we've had three months of normal life before all this Director shit happened and you didn't get to know her more in that time?'

'Well no,' Louis answered truthfully. 'We kept our distance I guess. I mean she was with Graham and all that...' He looked up to Francis. 'Rebound thing.'

'Oh of course,' Francis nodded, humouring him. Louis sighed and ran his hands over his head.

'Look all I know is that I've always wanted to be with Zoey pretty much since the first time I saw her. No matter what anyone says; I'm going to do what I can to make sure we have a future together and right now that means keeping ourselves alive and away from these fucking zombies!' Francis smiled at Louis.

'Okay,' he said with a grin. 'There maybe hope for you crazy kids yet.'

'Thanks,' Louis smiled at him.

'Who knows?' Francis stretched his arms out. 'Maybe love at first sight isn't just a myth.'

Just as Francis finished speaking, a short distance away Miguel was gazing longingly at Madison. He was so indescribably attracted to her; everything about her was perfect to him. Despite the precariousness of the situation, Miguel wanted nothing more than to have Madison join him in the back of the news van so that they could use the cameras to film some exposing footage of their own. Edward cocked his gun loudly, snapping Miguel out of his inappropriate thoughts.

'Here's the plan;' Edward announced. 'You two will be dropped off at the CEDA building and locate Anna while I go to the last known position Graham's chopper was. Questions?' There were none. 'Excellent. Turn left here, Madison. Now it may take a while for me to locate the others, even longer if you hadn't turned right, Madison, so if you can; try and find your own way out. Anna is in the basement of the building in the Director's former command centre. From there you should be able to access the underground. You can use that to get out of the city. I'll drive out with the others.'

A Hunter was crawling around on the ground outside of a large glass building. It was making a faint growling sound as it searched for its latest victim. A bright light caught its attention and the Hunter turned around to investigate and see what was causing it. As it did, the wheel of the news van went straight into its skull, shattering it into pieces. Madison stopped the van, leaving it parked on top of the infected's corpse. Madison and Miguel disembarked from the vehicle and Edward got into the driver's seat.

'Good luck,' he wished them before driving away, the wheels squelching over the Hunter's corpse. Suddenly the van stopped as it had no room to drive so Edward reversed it over the Hunter's body to get onto another road.

'Let's make like a Hunter and pounce,' Madison told Miguel, running up the stairs to the CEDA building.

Inside the main reception area was a great dark mess. Corpses of those who were infected and not infected littered the floors along with a great glass chandelier that was shattered on the ground. Turning on their flashlights due to the lack of illumination; Miguel and Madison made their way around the reception desk toward the stairwell. The door had been torn off, giving Miguel a slightly uneasy feeling as he stepped through it.

'Don't chicken out on me now, Doyle,' Madison told him. Her tone was ambiguous. It was either one of subtle encouragement or one of mockery. Miguel swallowed and pressed on, choosing to believe that she was being encouraging. As they reached the bottom floor the two stepped out into the darkest corridor. The blackness was almost impenetrable acting as a barrier that could not be passed unless a door was opened. This door came in the form of the slender beam of light that stretched just a little in front of the two. Madison and Miguel made their way slowly down the dark corridor. With their visibility almost nonexistent, the two went back to back with Miguel watching the front and Madison watching the rear. Miguel was sweating nervously.

'You know it's funny,' he muttered, his voice shaky. 'When I was a kid I was always petrified of the dark.' Madison rolled her eyes as he told his story. 'My mother was blind and this is what I imagined what it was like. I was afraid that being in darkness meant I had lost my eyesight.'

'Things looking good up there?' Madison asked him.

'Yeah,' Miguel swallowed. 'I'm over it now; I know being in the darkness doesn't mean I'm going blind.'

'Thank God,' Madison muttered.

'It's strange isn't it?' Miguel asked rhetorically. 'Most children are afraid of monsters in the dark but I was afraid of going blind.'

'Not to frighten you now,' Madison spoke cautiously, 'but there are monsters in this darkness.' Her comment made Miguel go silent. The quiet was intense. The lack of noise, the inescapable solitude drilled into his ears with greater force than a jackhammer. The silence had a sound of its own, a very faint deep humming noise that was comparable to the sound of an airplane engine from far away only far more low and rumbling. It instilled a grave sense of dread that seeped down into Miguel's very core. Although she did not show it, Madison felt the exact same. The terrifying darkness and obstinate silence were almost enough to prevent the two from pressing on. Despite their fear and dread they pushed on toward their goal, determined to not let the fear get the better of them.

It was then something made them stop.

Miguel and Madison's legs both froze as they heard it. It was a shuffling noise; the faintest sound either of them had heard. It was not louder than the silence and yet the two heard it. It was coming from everywhere or so it felt. Madison gasped and looked around with the flashlight, the narrow beam showing the same empty path wherever she looked. The shuffling was similar to the sound of a barefoot person with a limp who was trying to run over smooth tile. Miguel and Madison were shaken by this noise. They were frightened.

'What the hell is that?' Madison finally gave into curiosity.

'I don't know...' Miguel muttered in response. His shaky voice was gone. He was now firm, in control.

'What do we do?' Madison asked him, her whispering voice breaking.

'Take my hand,' Miguel told her. She instantly grabbed him, holding on tight. 'Let's go.'

They did not sprint and they did not run. Miguel used his free hand to extend the flashlight in front of him as he and Madison calmly continued walking. Madison's flashlight went from side to side of the corridor, desperate to not miss what was coming. The two went further and further into the blackness while the scratching sound did not get closer nor did it get farther away. It was following them. Madison was breathing heavily so Miguel told her to take controlled breaths to calm herself down. As she did this, Miguel noticed up ahead there was an entranceway where there should have been a solid wall. As he went toward it, Madison gasped and tightened her grip on his hand. Miguel turned around and saw what she was looking at.

In the distance just out of range of the torchlight were a set of glowing eyes. They were hovering in the blackness. They disappeared for a moment before coming back as what was watching them blinked. Madison's hand was trembling. What was following them could have easily been one of the common infected and could be handled with ease. If that was the case then why had it not charged at them yet? What was it? It was too tall to be a Hunter but it was too short to be a Smoker. It was making a sound that no infected ever made. It was silent. The silence was incredible. It was just out of reach in the periphery of the light. Judging by its behaviour Miguel decided it was a new type of infected; a beast created by the altered viral strain that had besieged London. At a later date he would refer to it as the Stalker. For now the Stalker just watched them. Its eyes floating there made the two feel like the darkness itself was watching them. Miguel pulled on Madison's arm, forcing her to come with him. As they moved the scratching sounds started again.

Heading inside the passageway, Miguel and Madison walked at a brisker pace. The Stalker was still following them and the scratching turned into metallic grinding as they stepped onto a catwalk. The two hastily descended a set of stairs that went underneath a subway tunnel and then ascended a set of parallel steps. At the top was a metallic doorway that Miguel and Madison stopped in front of. The Stalker stopped as well, still just out of sight. Miguel tapped his gun on the metal door.

The sudden sound made the Stalker let out a cry. The noise it made was shrill and sent an icy shiver straight to the bone. It sounded similar to a Hyena, only it was a long loud and deep roar. Madison dropped her flashlight and it started to fall down the stairs.

'This is Miguel Doyle and Madison Robinson,' Miguel said to the door. 'We're agents of the Bioterrorism Counter Force sent her by Edward Deacon.' The flashlight fell to the bottom of the stairs and rolled out of sight, obscured by the dip in the ceiling. 'You need to let us in right now!' The flashlight rolled behind the Stalker, making it cry some more. Its shadow was cast upon the stairs. Madison saw a jumbled mess of sticklike limbs, all of them moving. Either it was horribly mutated or there were more of them.

'You have to let us in now!' Madison screamed. The Stalker let out another cry and the two heard it coming after them. It was moving quicker than they could have imagined. It would be on them before they had a chance to turn around. The door suddenly opened up and the two were pulled inside by one of two armed men. One man stepped outside to try and keep the infected at bay. His colleague screamed at him to not do it. As Miguel turned around he heard a sickening tearing sound. He looked to the doorway and saw the man who had just pulled him and Madison inside dripping with blood. His head then fell from his shoulders and the rest of his body began to fall apart before his very eyes. Madison screamed in complete terror as the door was shut by the other solider who secured it tight. Madison crawled away on the floor, screaming at what she saw. She buried her hands in her arms and began to weep. Miguel went down to her to embrace her and comfort her.

As Miguel held Madison he looked around the room. It was a mess. In one corner was a pool of blood with a trail leading to a body covered in a sheet. There was one armed man who walked over to a large set of tables and computer terminals. Sat by one of these was a woman, a tired looking woman. Miguel recognised Anna Shepherd even in the dark light. She nodded at him, acknowledging his presence. He nodded back before holding Madison tighter. The first part of the mission was complete; now all he had to do was get out of there.

Miguel got to his feet to give Madison some space. He walked over to Anna who was sat looking glumly.

'Oh Doyle,' she said with a dull, defeated tone. 'I wish you hadn't come.'

'Believe me so do I,' Miguel told her. 'I mean I was already clearing off the stuff from your desk so I could poach it but that damn Edward Deacon believes in that silly thing about leaving no one behind.' Anna looked surprised.

'Eddy's here?'

'He is,' Miguel nodded. 'He's taking care of something else right now; that's why he's sent me and Robinson to get you out of here.'

'I'm crippled,' Anna told him. 'I can't walk. I can't do anything much now since the government launched the EMP.'

'Why the hell did they do that?' Miguel shrugged.

'To condemn us all to death,' Anna told him. 'It really is that simple. We've just been sat here now waiting for those zombies to come and get us.'

'Well we won't let that happen,' Miguel looked over to Madison. 'Right, Madison?'

'It just tore him apart!' she cried.

'We'll come back to you,' Miguel turned away. 'But anyway there's the subway access around here isn't there? We can use the tunnels to escape.'

'The tunnels are infested; there's no way we can get out that way.'

'We could if we used a train,' Miguel winked at her. Anna looked at him intrigued. 'These trains must have backup power supplies or something. If Madison and I go out and reactivate one of them we can swing back here, pick you two up and get the hell out of here.'

'Sounds like a feasible plan,' Anna nodded.

'It's more than feasible,' Miguel told her. 'It's my first mission. I'm not going to let anything go wrong.'

'Son of a motherfucking bitch whore!' Edward Deacon cursed as he crashed the van into an overturned one. His vehicle was now sporting a bountiful quantity of scrapes, bumps and dents. There was also a severe crack down the windscreen. 'You can fly a helicopter but you can't drive a God damn van!' As Edward continued to curse at himself a Boomer waddled up to the driver's door. He looked over and saw that it was about to spray bile everywhere. 'Not now,' Edward pushed the door open, knocking the Boomer away. He then put the van into gear and drove off, flattening the Boomer and sending bile squirting everywhere. This attracted the horde, which ran head first into the moving van. After several satisfying counts of vehicular assault, Edward turned the corner and drove down the road that Graham had crashed down.

The sound of a moving vehicle was quickly heard by Francis and Louis. The two stood up and hurried out of their hideaway, stepping out onto the street. They saw Edward's van driving down the road toward them and they started waving their arms at him. Edward, thinking they were infected, began speeding up.

'Oh shit,' Francis muttered. He pulled Louis out of the way as Edward narrowly missed them, coming to an abrupt stop by the wreckage of the helicopter. Edward stepped out of the van and made his way over to the two. It took Francis a moment to recognise who he was but as soon as he did his face cracked a large smile and he stood up. 'Eddy!'

'It's good to see you again,' Edward and Francis shared a brief embrace with a lot of back patting. As they stepped away, Francis chuckled.

'I'm going to forgive you for nearly running us over,' he spoke jokingly. 'But it's not cool to try and run us down just because Louis is black.'

'A little help here?' Louis called out. He was still lying on the ground as the force of Francis' push had dazed him.

'Nah you're alright,' Francis waved at him before going back to Edward. 'So are you here to save us?'

'Actually, I am,' Edward smiled. 'I'm probably going to get fired when we get out of here as I've broken God knows how many rules but hey; a promise is a promise. Where's the others?'

'Inside,' Francis tilted his head over to the store. 'Bill, Zoey and that Graham dude; all present and accounted for.'

'But Graham's really injured,' Louis finally got to his feet. 'So we should probably get going.'

'Agreed,' Edward nodded. 'The sooner we get out of here then the sooner I can set you up with this hot young lady I've been working with, Francis.'

The young lady in question, Madison Robinson, was suddenly covered in blood as she decapitated one of the common infected by shooting it in the head at point blank range. She and Miguel were in the underground tunnels making their way toward the first train that they could find. There were copious amounts of common infected in the tunnels so the likelihood of running into a Stalker was slim. Madison was more confident now that she was able to see the enemy she had to fight. As she and Miguel killed their way through the tunnels, she started feeling better after what had happened.

'Thanks by the way,' she told Miguel after shooting dead two more common infected.

'What for?' Miguel asked, kicking back one infected of his own and shooting it dead on the ground.

'Just for being so supportive back there,' Madison beat away some infected and shot at them. 'It was really nice of you.'

'What can I say? We're teammates.' Miguel saw a Hunter leap through the air but shot it dead before it got close to him. He kicked the corpse as if it were a football into an oncoming barrage of common infected, effectively dispersing them. 'You'd have done the same for me.'

'I'm not sure I would have,' Madison answered candidly as she was knocked back by the swipe of a common infected. As more came from behind it she slapped the infected across the face so hard it stumbled and turned around. She then grabbed it by its neck, placing it into a chokehold and used her free hand to fire as she held onto her infected shield. 'I guess I can be pretty single minded at times.'

'You're not used to working as part of a team before?' Miguel asked while taking a distant pot-shot at a Smoker, killing it before it had a chance to act.

'I'm not really a team player,' Madison admitted as she mowed down the infected. When they were all dead she snapped the neck of the one that she was holding onto. 'I guess I feel like people get in my way.'

'I'm all about team unity,' Miguel told her. 'I can see myself working with you a fair bit in the future. I'm sure you'll change your mind.'

'Well let's see,' Madison smiled, looking up. A large dark object was blocking their way. 'I think we found our train.' Miguel smiled as he saw it.

'I think we have.'

The two boarded the train and accessed the backup power supply. They coasted toward the entrance to the Director's secret base where they went in to help Anna and her bodyguard.

'The train's here,' Madison announced perkily as she and Miguel re-entered the room. 'Hop on!'

'Is that a joke?' asked the crippled Anna. Moments later, everyone was onboard the train and they were soon riding out of the City of London. Elsewhere, Edward was driving the survivors out of the city the same way he had come in. As soldiers finished rebuilding the quarantine fence that he had just smashed down, Edward drove right through it once more. Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey were completely safe. Graham was taken to hospital where the doctors announced he would make a full recovery. Bill and Zoey regained consciousness and went to be examined by doctors to make sure they were alright along with Francis and Louis. As Edward stood by his stolen news van with his arms folded a smile formed on his face. He had done well.

After all of the excitement had calmed down, Edward was arrested for violating the quarantine. He would soon be released where he would, along with Anna, Miguel and Madison, prepare for the first mission back to America. While all of the politics played out, the four survivors were treated for their injuries.

It had been a few days since the escape and Zoey stepped inside a doctor's office for her check-up, standard procedure for everyone who had been exposed to the virus. Once a week they had to undergo a set of blood tests, urine tests and various prodding tests just to make sure that they had not turned into a Tank or some other infected. The office was remarkably quiet, something Zoey did not mind as she knew she would not have to wait too long. As she stepped into the waiting room she looked over and saw a familiar face; Graham's. He was in a wheelchair, severely bandaged. The two shared a gaze and just existed for a moment in silence. Zoey sighed and stepped over toward him.

'Hey,' she said weakly. 'How are you doing?' Graham's head was bandaged. His two arms were in thick casts, one of his legs was outstretched in its own cast while the other was heavily bruised. He had not shaven for days and was breathing rather labouredly.

'Great,' Graham lied. He coughed for a moment. 'You?'

'Oh you know...' Zoey brushed the hair from her face. There was another awkward silence. 'Okay I'm just going to have to come out and say it,' Zoey knelt down next to him. 'We're both too involved in this zombie world now to avoid seeing each other. I know that it probably wasn't the best time to dump you and then go for Louis during the crisis in London...'

'It did lack your trademark sense of tact,' Graham commented. Zoey took a breath.

'All I'm saying is that I didn't intentionally go out to try and hurt you. I like you, Graham, but with Louis things are just... hard to explain.'

'You don't need to explain,' Graham attempted to wave his arm but couldn't. Zoey wanted to talk some more but at that moment the doctor came out of her office.

'With just the two of you here I'm guessing that you're the patient I need to see,' she said to Zoey. Zoey glanced back at Graham who nodded at her, telling her to go. Zoey pushed her lips together with discomfort before following the doctor to her office that was just near the waiting room. There was a window in the door and Zoey could still see Graham in the waiting room through it. 'So I have your test results,' the doctor told Zoey. 'Everything's fine as we expected. Now we just need to prepare for further tests.'

'How long do I have I keep doing this for?' Zoey sighed. 'I think I know by now that I'm immune. I mean I have survived two outbreaks.'

'I wasn't talking about the infection in particular,' the doctor told her. She put the paper documents away and looked as though she was about to break some news to Zoey. She was. 'Your urinalysis came back with no signs of infection however there was something we picked up on.'

'What was that?' Zoey asked nervously.

'Well we double-checked just to be sure,' the doctor told her, 'and then we checked those results again and we can say with complete certainty that...' The time between the doctor's words felt infinite.

'You're pregnant.'

Zoey's first instinct was to glance out of the window. She saw Graham sat outside and felt an enormous sense of dread.

'Oh,' Zoey said softly. 'Oh... God.'

Away from Zoey's problems, Miguel and Madison continued to work together on several missions. Over the many months they were together, the HMS Jaeger was constructed. The two were called into Edward's office one day and were told of the mission; to rescue Norah Hanham from America while the HMS Jaeger went on its maiden voyage. Both hastily accepted with Miguel being promoted to lieutenant commander under the recommendation of Madison. Miguel relished in the thought of spending all this time together with Madison. She was truly a remarkable woman, one who he would love to spend as much time with as possible. Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey were recruited to accompany them on their mission and pretty soon everyone was on their way toward the United States of America.

Miguel was jarred awake from his reminiscent thoughts as the elbow he was using to support himself on the table in the tactics room slipped and he smashed his face onto the display. Letting out a groan of slight pain he sat up. He was no longer daydreaming about the events that had happened one year ago he was back in the present. Bill and the others were heading toward the location of the Midnight Riders with Madison and Malcolm having a considerable head start. As he scanned through the information on the table display Miguel felt suddenly inadequate. What he was doing now was nothing in comparison to what he had done before. Madison was on the front lines and he felt like he should be there with her. Standing up, Miguel decided that he would make this happen. He put an announcement out over the submarine and within a few moments a bespectacled woman with thick red hair entered the Tactics Room looking very nervous. Her name was Kathryn and Miguel smiled at her.

'No need to look so worried,' he assured her. 'If anything I'm about to make your day.'

...

With Zoey's mother, Cassandra, in tow, Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey stepped onto the dock that they had stopped at when they had arrived in New York City. Their plan was to use the boat that they had travelled in from New Bern to get as close as they could to the Midnight Riders. Of course there was still the problem of the vehicle's owner who was stood by the boat waiting for them. The man did not know yet of the destruction of his boss' commune.

'You took your time,' the man grumbled.

'Yeah,' Bill nodded while stepping up to him. 'About that...' Bill lunged forward and stuck the man in the head. His target stumbled across the ground before standing up and straightening his clothes.

'That's not how you do it, Bill,' Francis told him. 'This is how you do it!' Francis tried to knock the man out but his attacks were hastily defended and he ended up on the ground. Louis stepped back, choosing to keep out of the brawl.

'Do you guys want some help?' Zoey offered.

'We're fine!' Bill and Francis exclaimed in unison. The man they were trying to beat stood defiantly.

'What the hell is your problem?' he cried. 'If you don't cut this out then I'll... oh my God...'

Just off the docks the water was parting. The massive HMS Jaeger was surfacing from the depths of ocean. The man took a step back, recoiling in shock. Zoey used this as an opportunity to bash him in the back of the head with her gun, knocking him out. As he fell to the ground, the submarine continued to rise. When it finished surfacing, the front section of it opened up and a small raft was released. On top of the raft was a military vehicle; a blue camouflage jeep with three seats in the front, three in the back and a place for someone to stand and use the mounted gun that was located on the centre of the roof. The jeep floated over to the dock and stopped as it nudged against the side. As the nose of the submarine began to close, someone climbed up from the raft and stood in front of everyone. He was dressed in similar fatigues as the rest of them with two double pistols an assault rifle and a bountiful supply of ammunition and gadgets. The man smiled at them.

'Hey guys,' said Miguel Doyle. 'Are we ready to get this party started?'

...


	9. The Broken Bond

_**The Midnight Riders**_

Chapter Seven – The Broken Bond

It is a common occurrence that when two people first meet and interact with each other personally one of two things may happen. In some instances the two people do not connect and simply drift apart to never speak again and quickly forget about each other. On other occasions the two people would encounter each other again and once more after that. With each meeting a bond would form between the two people, a bond that would differ from person to person. Sometimes the bond would be that of friendship with two people becoming close confidantes. Every so often the bond would be a passionate one, the two people becoming fervent lovers. From time to time the bond that two people would share would be detrimental with two people becoming sworn enemies. The bonds that people share with each other are special and indescribable to those on the outside. It was one of those indescribable, unusual and downright strange pairings that Bill and Francis had shared for over a year.

When Bill first met Francis it had been two weeks since the first infection and the two were forced to work together to keep themselves alive. Shortly thereafter Zoey joined them, bringing Louis along with her. While the four of them formed an inseparable bond, Bill and Francis slowly built an interesting friendship. As Louis and Zoey acted romantically toward each other, Bill and Francis would watch from the sidelines with Francis often making sly joked that would make Bill laugh, not that he would show it. Bill would often perform tricks or stunts to tackle the infected that should not be possible for a man his age, making Francis respect and admire him, not that he would ever show those feelings, either. Upon escaping from America the two lived together for three months before the Director attempted to assassinate them both. Over that brief period their relationship had become very love-hate with more emphasis on the hate aspect. The two did not get along and yet they remained close when working together with Zoey and Louis. Over time Bill suspected that maybe it was those two that had the biggest effect on his friendship with Francis. He got on better with Francis when the other two were around. Zoey had the same feeling when it came to Louis.

Whenever Zoey was with Louis she felt a surge of attraction toward him. She desired him in ways she could not really explain. He was not really her type; he was a bit goofy, loud and slightly older than the men she usually went for. Yet there was something about him when they were fighting alongside each other that was simply an intense turn-on for her. However away from the dangerous weapons and mutated infected their relationship felt forced or at least she felt it did. Suddenly the loud and goofy behaviour returned replacing the bravery, skill and heroism that she was used to. Maybe it was the circumstances that made Zoey attracted to Louis but maybe it was something else. The thought had crossed Zoey's mind that maybe she was happy with the bond that she shared with Bill and Francis along with Louis and she only desired him when they were there to preserve this complex friendship that they had developed after a year of being together. Zoey also felt that she was walking on eggshells sometimes when she was with Louis. She had some secrets that she did not want him to find out and when they were alone the conversation would sometimes drift dangerously close to subjects that she would prefer to avoid; subjects like starting a family for instance. When Bill and Francis were added to the mixture, Zoey felt a lot of pressure had been taken off. She saw Francis as the brother she had always wanted and Bill as the father she had always needed. She was unsure of where Louis would fit in her life; something which made her feel very uncomfortable as she had changed her mind about their relationship several times over the year. There was also the fact that Zoey felt like she could be who she was with Bill and Francis but when it came to Louis she held herself back. Maybe this was the reason, Zoey often thought, of why she felt this way with Louis as he did not really know the real her. They had been together for a year and Zoey had been keeping things from him for all that time. She had held back one piece of information since the London incident that could potentially destroy what relationship she did have with him.

Of course these thoughts were not at the front of Zoey's mind as she stood in one of the docks at New York City with her mother, Cassandra, to one side and Louis to the other. On each side of the man that Zoey had incapacitated stood Bill and Francis who shared the surprised expression on their faces that the others had. Everyone was looking over at Miguel Doyle who had managed to get the jeep onto the dock, sending the raft it had travelled on back to the nearby surfaced HMS Jaeger. Miguel was stood in front of the vehicle with his hands resting on his hips, informing them all of the changes he was making for the mission.

'Not that we're not thrilled to have you here,' Bill spoke incredibly unconvincingly over him, 'but... why are you here?'

'I feel that I need to have a more proactive, hands-on involvement with the mission,' Miguel responded diplomatically. 'You have been separated from Madison and Malcolm, meaning you are all without any form of superior officer for the time being. My involvement is now a matter of necessity as the BCF would destroy me if they found out that you four have been making your way through the country unescorted.'

'Unescorted?' Bill repeated belligerently. Louis shuffled uncomfortably as he feared the conversation between the two men would turn out similar to the one they had shared back on the submarine when Bill nearly punched Miguel. 'Unescorted? Son let me tell you something; we were fighting these zombies and doing a pretty damn good job of it long before you even knew they existed. We're your escorts!'

'Right,' Miguel nodded, taking a moment to compose his words with care so he would not rile Bill further. 'Sorry I didn't mean that as it sounded however the point I was making is still the same. The deal we all made with Deacon and Shepherd was that one of us; one of my crew would be with you at all times. If anyone found out that you were unaccompanied for any moment of time during this mission than the BCF would come under such heavy scrutiny for sending civilians into a hot zone that we would be shut down faster than you could say...'

'Bullshit,' Bill finished Miguel's sentence for him. Miguel paused for a moment, eyeing Bill closely. 'You're lying,' Bill elaborated. 'You might be able to fool some people with your slick talk but you can't fool me.'

'I'm not trying to fool you,' Miguel responded with clear sincerity.

'No,' Bill accepted his statement. 'But you're not joining us for political reasons either. You're here because you don't trust us on our own.' This was only half true as the driving force that prompted Miguel to leave the Tactics Room for the outside world were his feelings toward Madison and his personal beliefs that he was not doing enough. However he would never tell Bill that. Instead he sighed and accepted what he was saying.

'You're right,' he said in an unexpectedly straightforward manner. 'I want to have more of a hands-on approach when it comes to leading the mission. I feel that my distance has led to the team's divide, loss of focus and was responsible for Rex's death.'

'There's no way that was your fault,' Louis spoke up, trying to make Miguel feel better. Francis on the other hand gestured to the jeep with the large mounted weapon.

'Although we could have used that from the start.'

'I'm here to make sure we find Hanham and the others,' Miguel continued, 'and to ensure we spend as least amount of time groundside as possible. I don't want to waste anymore time of suffer any more casualties. I am in charge now and you'll all do as I say is that understood?' Francis joined Louis and Zoey in their silent nods of acceptance. Bill, however, stood tall and unmoving. 'Don't make me confine you to the sub, Bill,' Miguel spoke with genuine honesty, making it clear that he would rather keep Bill with him than shut him back in the submarine. Bill responded to Miguel's decency with a single step toward him and a menacing look.

'You couldn't confine me even if you wanted to,' Bill told him, looking dead into his eyes.

'Yes I could,' Miguel replied with the same confidence Bill was expressing.

'You and what army?' Bill asked.

'Ah, Bill,' Zoey spoke up, interrupting their gaze. 'He's the commander of a submarine filled with seamen.' As Francis let out an immature chuckle, Bill sighed and stepped back.

'Fine,' he muttered, removing a cigarette and putting it in his mouth. 'You're in charge,' he said as he lit the end.

'Excellent,' Miguel was slightly relieved. He glanced over to Cassandra who was looking slightly nervous.

'You're not going to lock me away in your massive submarine, are you?' she asked.

'Ma'am you are to forget that you've even seen this vessel, do you understand?'

'Oh thank God,' she sighed. 'I was worried that I'd be separated from my daughter again.' Miguel walked over to her as she put her hand to her chest with relief.

'I take it you're going to be tagging along for the ride?'

'Oh yes,' Cassandra held out her hand. 'I'm Cassandra; Zoey's mom.'

'Nice to meet you; I'm Miguel.'

'I think I'll call you Miggy,' Cassandra smiled. 'Is that okay?'

'Well actually I...'

'Okay, people,' Zoey spoke up, stepping away from the two to make some noise that would disrupt another potentially awkward conversation. 'From what Miguel has said; it sounds like we need to be in a hurry to meet up with the others before we go and find what we came here for.'

'Yes,' Miguel acknowledged Zoey, stepping forward while taking out a small pocket computer the size of a large personal data assistant. 'I've got all of the mobile equipment I need to coordinate the mission but I've got Kathryn in the TR making sure we're all alright. Everyone say hello to Kathryn through your radios.' No one did. Clearing his throat to break up the silence, Miguel tapped his computer and went toward the jeep. 'I'll navigate, who wants to drive?'

'I will!' Louis announced. 'Probably best after what happened last time Bill drove a car.' Louis winked jocularly to Bill but he did not find it funny. In a huff, Bill climbed into the jeep and took position on the mounted gun; ready to shoot his temper out at whatever moved across their path. Miguel began to explain where they needed to go and with everyone inside the vehicle, Louis put it into gear and drove away down the dock, leaving the unconscious man lying next to his boat as the HMS Jaeger began to slowly dip below the surface of the water, hiding once more.

...

The Midnight Riders tour bus had moved from its sheltered position in the thick of some trees into a more open spot beside Danielle's grave. The bus was in a great state; both the inside and outside was splattered with blood. A considerable amount of mess was made with objects and furniture being tossed aside in a rush, meaning a cleanup operation was underway. Nick was still too injured to work and was sat outside so that he would not tear his stitches again. Coach and Ellis were scrubbing the outside of the bus vigorously. It was hot; the sun was shining brighter than it had done in a while. The heat was making Coach sweat profusely; his shirt clung to his body with sweat. Ellis was sweating copiously also but had removed his shirt long ago. As he was checking the tyres, he stood up to stretch and his toned chest glistened in the sunlight. Ellis wiped his forehead as he took a breath just as Teek stepped out of the bus; carrying an assortment of weapons. He and Drake were tasked with removing everything from the vehicle to make it less cluttered so that it could be cleaned and put back neatly. Teek was fully clothed but still sweating. As he dumped what he was carrying onto a pile nearby, he glanced appreciatively over at Ellis before forcing himself to go back inside. Rochelle and Norah were working together to clean the interior. Norah had tasked herself with removing Danielle's possessions, claiming it was something that she just had to do on her own. As she stepped into her room, Norah stumbled as the presence of Danielle's belongings suddenly washed over her. She began to breathe heavily, attempting to hold back tears. Rochelle noticed her distress and decided to give her some privacy. She went to usher the two boys out but they had already excused themselves. Rochelle stepped by Norah, telling her that they would be right outside and shut the access door behind her. Rochelle joined Coach, Ellis, Drake and Teek who were all huddled together. She let out a sigh as she ran her hand through her hair.

'This is bad,' she commented. 'She's really upset.'

'She screamed at me earlier when I moved one of Danielle's pistols,' said Drake. 'I think she's beyond upset.'

'She's not the only one,' Teek said with a hushed tone, nodding over toward Nick who was sat in a chair in front of Danielle's grave. His face was gaunt and expressionless yet it conveyed an overwhelming sense of depression and guilt. Rochelle held back the look of despair and pity that was forming on her face with considerable effort. 'It must be hard for him.'

'Why?' Drake glanced over to Teek with a puzzled look on his face. 'He wasn't as close to Danielle as Norah was.'

'But he was the one who killed her,' Ellis mentioned. 'He probably thinks we all blame him for her death.'

'Well he was the one who pulled the trigger,' Drake spoke in an accusatory tone.

'But he didn't mean to kill her,' Coach said aggressively. He stepped back to affirm how important what he was about to say was. 'Nick is one of us and he did not mean to kill Danielle. He may have pulled the trigger but he did not kill her; do you understand?' Everyone said that they did with the exception of Drake who remained silent. Coach gave him a stern look and Drake sighed, licked his lips and looked away before closing his eyes and begrudgingly nodding. 'I'm glad that's settled.' Drake looked back at Coach with a serious glare.

'You're not going to get Norah to forgive him so easily.'

'I know,' Coach sighed. Back inside the bus, Norah was sat in the corner of her and Danielle's room. Her eyes were red and tears were streaking down her face. In her hand was one of Danielle's jumpers that she was clutching with a tight fist. Norah let out a weak cry as her head bowed forward into her hands. She wept in the small, dark room for a few moments; mourning her best friend. Outside, Nick continued to stare at the makeshift wooden epitaph. As he looked at it he saw several flashes in his mind's eye. He saw himself firing the gun and saw the bullet tear through Danielle's body. He saw the look in her eyes as life faded away from them. The more he tried to push these images from his mind the more intense they became. When Nick attempted to confront these images head on he found himself becoming overwhelmed and emotional. It had been less than a day since Danielle had died and Nick had already become a nervous wreck over the emotions he was feeling.

After the day had passed the Midnight Riders had scrubbed the blood and mess from their home and everything was back to normal in the physical sense. The tension in the air was profuse and everyone was being careful with what they said. Coach had decided not to leave the area yet so that he would allow Norah more time to say goodbye to Danielle. The situation was not helped by the fact that Nick and Norah had hardly spoken a word all day. When everyone had sat together at the table to eat it was the most uncomfortable and awkward meal that any of them had ever attended. Nick took one bite of his food before leaving it while Norah simply fiddled with the morsels with her fork. Each chink of metal on the plate felt loud enough to be heard for miles. When everyone was done, Norah retired to her room while Drake and Teek escaped to their own. Nick mustered his strength and went to his own room leaving Coach, Rochelle and Ellis sat at the table. Coach sat forward with his elbows on the table as he rubbed his face, exhaling loudly.

'Jesus Christ...' he spoke, drawing out the sound of his syllables.

'Could that have been more awkward?' Rochelle commented.

'I could'a been naked?' Ellis suggested. Rochelle and Coach shot him similar disapproving glares before glancing back to each other.

''What do we do now?' Rochelle asked Coach who shrugged and sighed through pursed lips.

'Honestly, Ro, I haven't got a clue.'

'What can we do?' Ellis spoke rhetorically. 'We have to carry on as normal.'

'I don't think that we can,' Rochelle speculated grimly. 'An event like this could easily fracture the group.'

'What do you mean?' Ellis asked.

'Say we try to carry on as normal,' Rochelle explained, 'and a few weeks or months pass; the split between Norah and Nick will intensify.'

'What are you talking about?' Coach interposed. 'There is no split between them.'

'Are you blind?' Rochelle remarked sarcastically. 'If you couldn't sense it at the table then you must be blind.' Rochelle glanced over to Ellis. 'Or stupid... Look; there is obviously going to be a split between them. Nick killed her best friend so she's naturally going to feel some strong emotions toward him. Nick and Norah are not the type of people who will be able to confront this issue effectively and they will start to resent each other with such intensity that we'll be forced to choose sides, if we've not chosen them already.'

'What the hell?' Ellis exclaimed loudly. 'What the hell makes you think that that'll happen?'

'Norah despises Nick,' Rochelle spoke softer, quieter. 'You can tell. Nick feels guilt and will resent her when his mind has cleared up. Drake already thinks that we should throw Nick out of the group and his closeness to Teek will mean that he will feel the same. Of course we've all been with Nick since the beginning so we'd be more inclined to gravitate toward his side.'

'In essence you're saying that we will soon find ourselves fighting against Norah, Drake and Teek?' Coach summarised.

'Bullshit,' Ellis voiced his opinions candidly. 'There ain't no way that that'll happen.' As Coach and Rochelle glanced at him to explain himself; Ellis sat back with one arm over the chair. 'Nick don't harbour a grudge against anyone.'

'Ellis he was willing to travel hundreds of miles on foot to get revenge on his father for abandoning him,' Rochelle highlighted the flaw in Ellis' statement. He thought about it for a moment before carrying on.

'That man wronged him. Nick wouldn't do that to anyone else. Norah is upset at losing her friend but she will soon calm down and realise that it wasn't Nick's fault and then things will properly get back to normal.'

'You're optimistic, kid,' Coach let out a weak chuckle. 'I'll give you that.'

'I have faith in my friends,' Ellis responded. There was a moment of silence.

'Well that still doesn't solve our problem of what to do now,' Coach broke the quiet.

'We should leave in the morning,' Rochelle suggested. 'Give Norah time to say goodbye and then leave.'

'Do you think she's ready?' Coach asked.

'People gotta be pushed sometimes if they wanna move on with their life,' Ellis spoke rather profoundly. 'Besides we're running out of supplies and we need to get more work.'

'The faster we put this whole ordeal behind us the better,' Rochelle sighed, rubbing her forehead. Ellis smiled at her and moved his hand over the table to hold hers. Rochelle suddenly pretended to cough, using her free hand to cover her mouth. She then put her feet up and tucked them under her legs. She smiled awkwardly at Ellis who looked at her, confused. Coach watched the glance the two shared before clearing his throat.

'I think that's a good plan,' he agreed. 'It feels like all we've been doing lately is dealing with one crisis after another. We've not had a proper job in ages.'

'A job will be the perfect thing to get everyone's spirits up again,' Rochelle said enthusiastically.

'Do you think Norah will be up for it?' Ellis voiced a very valid point. 'I mean don't you and her make decisions together, Coach? What if she don't wanna leave?' There was the briefest moment of silence before Coach responded.

'I make the overall decisions.'

It was with Coach's tone of finality that made his second in command, Norah Hanham, silently shut her bedroom door.

...

Driving their stolen Mercedes down the continually windy forest road, Madison looked ahead silently as Malcolm adjusted his portable radio.

'I keep getting interference from something,' he told her. 'When we're out of the woods things should be okay.'

'Great,' Madison sighed. 'I'm pretty sure we're lost.'

'Wanna stop and ask for directions?'

'I don't believe it,' Madison scoffed. 'The one man in the world willing to ask for directions and we're surrounded by zombies.'

'Aren't you supposed to call them "infected?"'

'To hell with political correctness,' Madison exclaimed. 'I need to know where the hell I'm going.'

'Why is it women can't read a map?' Malcolm commented half-heartedly.

'You're holding the damn thing!' Madison gestured to Malcolm's portable computer. Up ahead was a T-junction. 'Okay; which way do we go?'

'I dunno,' Malcolm shrugged. 'Maybe left?'

'Maybe?'

'Okay, right!'

'Which is it?'

'Right.'

'Are you sure it's right?'

'I am right.'

'You were left a moment ago!' Up ahead a large, dark jeep emerged from one of the obscured turns, stopping in the middle of the road. Madison applied the brake and the car screeched to a sudden and abrupt halt about fifty feet from the jeep. One of the passengers got out of the vehicle and began waving at them. Madison squinted her eyes before they widened in shock as she saw Miguel standing there. 'What the...'

Madison and Malcolm got out of their car to meet Miguel who stood in front of the jeep. Francis and Louis had also disembarked from the jeep partly to listen in on the military conversation and partly to get away from the tense atmosphere that surrounded Bill. Zoey and Cassandra waited with him, trying to calm him down.

'Nice to see you two,' Miguel nodded at Madison and Malcolm. 'You were almost difficult to find with your going off the grid.'

'We're getting little signal here,' Malcolm explained but his speech was interrupted by Madison stepping forward.

'What are you doing here?' There was a brief silence. 'Sir,' she added hastily. Miguel smiled at her.

'I thought you could use an extra hand,' he explained. 'Plus these guys needed an official escort.'

'Here we go again,' Francis muttered under his breath. He was thankful that Bill could not hear what he was saying.

'There must have been other people that could have come instead of you,' Madison was sounding slightly against having Miguel her, something she suddenly became aware of. 'Not that I don't want you here, sir, but you're the commander of the Jaeger. I'd have thought you were too important to be doing this footwork and besides; who else will run the sub and control the operation while you're gone?'

'I have everything I need here,' Miguel showed off his various gadgets, 'to control the situation in the field. Plus I've got Kathryn to keep an eye on things in the Tactics Room.'

'Kathryn?' Madison repeated sounding astonished. She was sure she had not heard correctly. 'Kathryn Larsson?'

'Yes,' Miguel confirmed.

'She's keeping an eye on us?'

'Is there a problem?'

'Of course there is!' Madison cried. 'She's useless at operations like these plus I don't trust her.'

'Why?'

'She's a nerd trying to pass off as a geek.'

'I like Kathryn,' Malcolm offered.

'Not to break up this little love fest but I've made my decision,' Miguel's tone was polite but firm. 'Now it's going to be daybreak soon so we need to hurry along to the location of the tour bus. With any luck we'll reach them before they start moving.'

Madison begrudgingly accepted that Miguel would become a permanent presence and turned around to get back into the car.

'Shouldn't we all travel together?' Malcolm asked as they walked back to the Mercedes. 'It'd be less conspicuous.'

'Malcolm we're driving through the zombie wasteland in a Mercedes,' Madison responded. 'I don't think you can get more conspicuous than that.'

'Why did you steal a Mercedes anyway?' Miguel called after Madison who turned around to look at him. 'Surely there were more practical cars you could have taken?' Madison shrugged.

'I've always wanted a Mercedes.' Miguel smiled at her reasoning and she smiled back at him, turning back and climbing into the vehicle. As everyone got back inside their respective modes of transport, they drove off in convoy through the forest. Soon they emerged onto open roads and drove as fast as they could in the direction of the Midnight Riders.

...

As the sun peeked over the horizon signalling the start of a new day; Coach opened his eyes and climbed out of bed. He thought he was the first one awake so he got dressed and stepped outside the bus to relieve himself. As he went to get back inside he glanced over at Danielle's grave and saw Norah kneeling in front of it. Coach took his hand from the door handle and moved over toward her. Norah's expression was blank as she stared at grave. Her hair was a mess and her skin was dry. Coach joined her, kneeling down by her side. The two knelt there in silence for a moment with nothing but the wind running through the leaves of the trees as background noise. There were no birds singing, no distant sounds of the infected and there was not even any noise coming from the isolated Shadow Guard building nearby. Coach sighed as the gentle wind gently brushed across his skin and he took Norah's hand.

'We're leaving today,' he told her. Norah nodded very slowly in response. 'I think its best that we try to move on from this. We're going to go to the Fort Peck Haven; I think we'll find some work there.'

'That's what got her killed,' Norah said in a gravelly voice. Her mouth and throat were clearly dry. 'All this work that we keep doing just to survive; it made Rochelle leave, made her come back, robbed that young kid of his livelihood before nearly killing him and then absolutely wiped out the army of one of Thomas Galt's lieutenant's.' She looked over directly at Coach. 'I don't want to do this anymore.'

'None of us do,' Coach sighed.

'No;' Norah bowed her head. 'I really don't want to do this anymore. I thought I was strong enough to last until we were rescued but there's no guarantee that that's ever going to happen. We don't know if the Director is dead or alive, we don't know if it's safe to return to civilisation, we don't know if Edward and the others are still alive. We don't know if anyone will come looking for us.'

'That's why we need to hope,' Coach told her, leaning close to her. 'We need to hope and pray.'

'I don't think I've got any hope left in me,' Norah sat up. Coach looked down and saw that she was firmly holding a revolver in her hand. He could see that there were six bullets loaded in it.

'Norah,' Coach spoke slowly but she suddenly got to her feet and stepped away from him.

'I considered doing this once before;' she stuttered as she spoke. 'Back in Washington when the Director bombed the hell out of the White House. I had failed to protect anyone and was trapped in a safe room with the zombies trying to crash through the door. They were about to get in and people were begging me to shoot them; they wanted to die painlessly rather than be killed by those things. I considered shooting myself as I had the only gun and the thought disgusted me. Even though I had failed I just couldn't imagine ending things that way. I wanted to go down fighting rather than take the coward's way out. I wanted to make up for my failings. I wanted to make the Director pay. I wanted... I wanted so many things.' Coach took a cautious step toward her but Norah cocked the gun. 'I had something back then that I don't have now. A year of all of this has just worn me down and I just can't hack it anymore.'

'Now you know that's not true,' Coach told her. 'You're a strong woman; stronger than you think you are. You're the glue that holds us all together. You keep things in check and you support me. I don't know what I'd do without you. You're feeling raw because you lost someone you care about; your best friend. I lost my fiancé, twice as a matter of fact. I know what you're going through. I know how your feeling.'

'When you thought you lost Ruth the first time,' Norah was trembling, 'what was the first thing that you did? You went to punish those responsible.'

'You're not responsible for this,' Coach insisted. 'Shooting yourself is not going to bring Danielle back.'

'I either shoot myself or I shoot Nick,' Norah said. There was a sudden weight that sunk in Coach's stomach. 'I know that it was an accident but I... I just can't see him everyday knowing that he's the reason that she's dead. I know it's irrational but I just can't take it. I can't do this anymore!' Norah lifted the gun up to her head.

'Stop!' Coach yelled. 'Just wait one second.'

'I can't,' Norah shook her head wearily. 'I'm sorry; I just can't...' Coach moved forward and Norah aimed the gun from her head toward him. 'Don't get any closer or I'll shoot you, too.'

'If you really wanted to shoot yourself you'd have done it by now,' Coach told her. Norah frowned at him. She moved her gun back to her head. 'How do you think everyone will feel when they wake up to the sound of you killing yourself?'

'I don't really care,' Norah gasped. 'I just want this to be over.'

'Well even if you do kill yourself it won't be over,' Coach said. 'Just think about how we'll feel. We all care about you, Norah. Nick will be devastated and will blame himself if you die. That'd probably break him and then Rochelle will just be shattered because they are very close and then Ellis won't be able to handle it because he likes Rochelle so much and I won't be able to handle it without you and...' Coach took a breath, collecting his thoughts. He looked sincerely at Norah. 'I need you,' he told her. 'I need your strength, your determination and your heart. I just would not be able to do this without you; I wouldn't have lasted this long without you. When I've felt empty or when I feel that things are hopeless you're the one who tells me to hang on. You're my life raft, Norah. Without you I'd sink and so would everyone else.' The two looked at each other for a moment. Norah slowly lowered the gun.

'I hate you,' she muttered.

'You're welcome,' Coach said softly. The two walked toward each other and shared an embrace. Norah began to weep in Coach's arms. As he stood there, Coach had a feeling that with time everything would turn out alright. Not long after that everyone woke up and got ready to leave. As Norah said her final goodbye, she went to talk to Nick to tell him that she did not blame him for Danielle's death. Knocking on his bedroom door, Norah opened it when she had no answer and stepped into the empty room.

'Guys,' she looked back into the bus. 'Where is Nick?'

Limping through the thick forest on his own was Nick. He was moving as fast as he could, using the trees to support himself. He moved slowly so he would not strain himself. He shot any infected from a distance with his scoped rifle as he pressed on. He had been making his way through the woods since early in the morning, sneaking out when everyone was asleep. He could not be there anymore. He was too guilt ridden and knew that everyone blamed him for Danielle's death. He walked away, thinking that no one would miss him.

Coach ordered Ellis to follow Nick although he did not really have any idea where he had gone to. Believing he would take the same road back as they had used to get there, Ellis drove through the forest at a more reckless speed than he would normally, desperate to find him. However, Nick was already near the edge of the tree line and would soon step out into the open field. As he was about to do so, he stopped as he saw something unusual. Peering from behind a tree into the open area, Nick saw numerous parked vehicles with armed men and women standing guard. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the sight. Something then caught his attention, attracting the interested of the armed people also. The sound of the approaching bus drifted through the trees, making Nick feel suddenly uneasy. The tour bus drove out into the open area only to be blocked by all of the vehicles. Ellis stopped as he saw the sight and looked to Coach for guidance. Coach recognised one of the people in the armed crowed, the young man named Frazer who had pointed him in the direction of the helicopter a few nights ago. Frazer was waving at Coach, signalling him to step outside. The armed people lowered their weapons.

'I don't like it,' Norah voiced her concerns.

'That guy's a friend,' Coach told her. 'Don't worry.' He stepped off the bus and walked in front of it to join Frazer. Nick watched from the distance as he did. 'Hey, how are you doing?'

'I'm good,' Frazer smiled at him. 'Sorry for all of this; the Clan in charge of this area wants things to be secure; they want the people in that fortress you've just come from to keep to themselves.'

'Well you don't need to worry about them anymore,' Coach told him.

'I had wondered why we've not seen any choppers fly overheard recently,' Frazer smiled, patting Coach on the arm. 'If you've taken them down then you must be a good worker.'

'Well I am when it comes to helping my people.'

'Ah yeah,' Frazer folded his arms. 'How was that quest of yours? Did you get your girl back, what was her name... Rochelle?'

'Yeah,' Coach nodded. 'She's fine.'

'I'm glad to hear that,' Frazer smiled. He glanced over to one of the nearby men. 'Take them.'

With sudden and ruthless efficiency, Frazer's men stormed the tour bus and dragged everyone from it. As Coach protested, he was stuck over the back of the head.

'What are you doing?' Coach muttered wearily as his vision began to blur. Frazer bent down to look over him as he lay on the ground.

'Thomas Galt wants to talk to you,' he told him. Coach passed out. Everyone was then dragged into one of the standby vehicles and driven away.

Nick watched in horror as he saw what was going on. Frazer got into his own vehicle and then drove off, following them and leaving the bus standing there with the engine still running. Nick emerged from the trees when the coast was clear and staggered over to the bus. He climbed inside, his intention to follow the people who had taken his friends but the pain in his chest became intense and he was just able to switch the engine off before he passed out behind the driver's seat.

...

The vehicles that drove away in convey from the tour bus were varied. Some were convertibles while some were people carriers. One was a taxi cab while another was a police car. They were each driving in uniform in the same direction, to the person that the drivers obeyed. They were driving toward one of the most powerful men in the country, the man who ruled the north-west; Thomas Galt. Hundreds of miles away from the tour bus Thomas Galt was stood in the Idaho State Capitol building looking out at the city of Boise. The city streets were dark, barren and would have been empty were it not for the infected that were staggering around. Thomas Galt was an exceptionally tall man. He had short black hair and dark green eyes underneath wireframe spectacles. He wore a brilliant, spotless white suit with a red tie. His face was clean shaven and his arms were folded. He clearly took pride in his appearance and it was apparent that he was naturally confident. He had his eye trained on two common infected that were fighting in the street. Galt had a smile on his face as he watched the two swing at each other.

'Sir,' someone approached from the side, a man whose dress was scruffier in comparison to Galt's. 'Frazer's just sent word on the radio.'

'Take a look at this;' Galt spoke as if he had not heard his subordinate speaking. The man stepped close and looked out of the window to where Galt was pointing. He saw the infected fighting each other. One of them swiped the face of the other, knocking it to the ground. Galt let out a laugh. 'I think it's great! Do you not find this hilarious?'

'Better they fight each other than us, I suppose,' the man responded, unsure of what to say.

'We're exactly the same as they are,' Galt looked over to him. 'I thought I'd taught you that. We are all exactly the same.'

'Those zombies look a lot different than you,' Galt's subordinate said. Galt faced him and put his hands on his shoulders.

'The only thing that separates me from that zombie is this suit I am wearing. Nothing more. Do you understand what I'm saying?' Galt's man did not but he nodded anyway.

'Frazer's sent word on the radio; he's heading here with the Midnight Riders. They didn't even put up a fight.'

'Perfect,' Galt stepped away, looking out at the scene. One of the infected had won the fight and the other lay dead. Galt narrowed his eyes and sighed. 'Have Coach brought to me as soon as they arrive. Lock the others up separately; I don't want them plotting an escape and make sure that Rochelle is tied down. She's a crafty one.' The subordinate nodded and stepped away. Galt moved closer to the window and put his hand on the cool glass. He took breath and watched the condensation form and then fade away on the window.

...

The jeep and the Mercedes pulled up next to the tour bus. Everyone disembarked from their vehicles and moved toward the bus.

'Hold up,' Bill ordered quietly. Miguel looked around at him.

'I beg your pardon?'

'Those guys have never seen you before,' Bill explained. 'So if you wander in with your guns they may start shooting.'

'What do you suggest?'

'They've seen me, Francis, Louis and Zoey. They won't shoot us.' Miguel contemplated Bill's suggestion for a moment before nodding at him to proceed. He stood back with Madison, Malcolm and Cassandra while they moved forward to the bus. Upon reaching the door, Bill knocked on it twice. When there was no answer he knocked again. Sharing a look of worry with Francis, the two nodded at each other. Bill opened the door while Francis went inside. The first thing Francis saw was the slumped figure in the driver's seat. He went over toward it and pulled it around. The unconscious Nick fell off the seat and flat on the ground. Francis looked back worriedly to Bill.

Half an hour passed and Nick had been moved onto one of the beds. Zoey was sat next to him, waiting for him to wake up. Cassandra and Louis were sat at the front while Bill, Miguel, Francis and Madison were at the table. Malcolm was stood by the door acting as a guard. Miguel was conversing with Kathryn over the radio. He finally signed off the call and looked disheartened at everyone.

'She didn't have the satellites follow the bus as it moved,' he reported. 'There's no way to track them.'

'Damn it!' Madison cried, making sure her displeasure was known. 'I told you she was useless!'

'We can argue about that later,' Bill sounded as if he was promising the argument. 'Right now we need to get Nick awake so that we can find out what the hell happened.'

'Well we can't just snap our fingers to wake him,' Miguel shrugged. Bill disagreed and he began rifling through the cabinets. He soon found what he was looking for; some smelling salts. He opened them and went over to Nick. Putting them under his nose, Bill waited for a moment before he started coughing and spluttering. Nick sat up and looked at Zoey and Bill. As his eyes focused, his jaw dropped.

'You're shitting me!'

As he regained his senses, Nick moved to the table area. He sat in the middle with everyone facing him. Zoey, Louis and Cassandra sat at one side while Madison, Francis and Malcolm sat at the other. Miguel and Bill were stood watching over the table. After explaining to Nick how they had found him and allowing him to process the information, Miguel leant on the table to question him.

'I know this has been a stressful year for you but now that we're here you don't need to worry anymore.'

'I never thought you'd actually come,' Nick admitted. 'The others will be happy.'

'Speaking of the others; where are they?' Bill asked.

'Galt,' Nick responded. 'I saw his men kidnap them and drag them all away.'

'Who is Galt?' Miguel asked.

'Thomas Galt,' Nick elaborated. 'He's the leader of the most powerful Clan in the north-west. He controls the north west, effectively.'

'Christ, not another evil Clan leader,' Madison sighed. 'First Oliver Rooney, now Thomas Galt. Who next? Adolf Hitler?'

'You met Oliver Rooney?' Miguel asked.

'Long story,' Madison told him.

'A long story that we don't have time for,' Miguel interrupted. 'We need to find Thomas Galt so we can find the others and get them the hell out of here.'

'Well that's not a problem,' Nick said. 'I can lead you right to him.' Nick paused. 'Do we have anymore firepower?'

'Why?'

'Well we've not had the best experiences with Thomas Galt,' Nick said. 'We're not going to be able to break them out without a proper miracle.'

...

Hundreds of miles away, the convoy of cars turned a corner and were driving down the main street of Boise. Up ahead of them was the Capitol building. One of the cars ran over the corpse of one of the infected as it approached Thomas Galt. He watched as the Midnight Riders were brought to him. As his breath lingered on the glass window he turned to walk away. He left but the condensation did not. Galt walked through the large domed building toward the underground parking. He was eagerly anticipating his meeting with Coach and the rest of the Midnight Riders.


	10. The Story of the End of the World

_**The Midnight Riders**_

Chapter Eight – The Story of the End of the World

It was a story that had been told many times before; a story of one man's rise above adversity and despite overwhelming circumstances became one of the most powerful people in the land. It was a story that was shared between many people. From east to west and north to south everyone had heard this story. However it was also a story that was the subject of diverse forms of retelling. In some narratives the man was a family man, driven mad by the loss of his loved ones and filling the void with his empire. In others he was a tyrant who had always wanted power from the day he was born. Some stories portrayed him as the reluctant hero, stepping up to help those in time of need. Only one thing remained constant from telling to telling; the man the story was about was named Thomas Galt.

Thomas Galt was a very clever man. In order to understand men such as he; it is important to know what made them the way that they are. Growing up Thomas Galt had little time for relationships with his peers who only wanted to things like go to parties and drink alcohol. He was the boy who no one ever saw because he was working too hard either in the classrooms at school, the libraries on his free time or in his bedroom at home so he could try to avoid the frequent beatings from his drunken father. After putting himself through business school he had acquired all of the skills he needed to become a manager. He did not care who he managed or what company he worked for; he just needed to get away from his home. As soon as he left he became a very happy young man and quickly rose to a high position in the business world. He accomplished this in a remarkably short space of time, becoming known for his cutthroat attitude, no-nonsense approach to work and exceptional handling of people who were both above and below him.

Of course all this time devoted to work made his personal life nonexistent. He had never had a girlfriend nor had he ever been intimate with a woman ever in his whole life. This did not bother him as his whole life was devoted to his work. This is why he took it so hard when the world was destroyed due to the infectious outbreak. As he saw his business crumble before his very eyes; Galt contemplated taking his own life. However if there was one thing that Thomas Galt was good at it was overcoming exceptional circumstances to get what he wanted. Treating the outbreak as if it were nothing more than his drunken father Galt began to form his empire; building it up from the ruins of civilization.

Using his charm and charisma, Galt managed to get several people to side with him and form one of the first Clans. He was able to cut people who were not pulling their weight off from his group with an almost indifferent coldness due to his ruthless nature. Over time more and more people joined him; some were impressed by him while others were frightened and wanted to get on his good side. In nine months Thomas Galt's baby, his new empire, was known across the entire United States of America. Every soul knew of Thomas Galt and of what he had accomplished from the stories that spread across the land faster than the infection had a year previous. Basing his headquarters in his hometown of Boise, Idaho, Thomas Galt frequently looked out at his kingdom from the top of the Capitol building. He was known to do this for hours as he stared out and reflected on his life. He wished his father could see him now; to see what he had accomplished. Thomas Galt was a force to be reckoned with; he was smart, ruthless and completely unpredictable. This was the force that the Midnight Riders were now up against.

Each one of the Midnight Riders were dragged from the vehicles they had been forced into. They all had hoods over their heads and their wrists tied together with rope. One of Galt's men, a man named Frazer, was watching the six of them get dragged toward the doorway of the underground parking area. There were a few other cars parked around but it appeared that the place was used for storage as in one corner were several items of furniture. In another corner a small break room had been set up for Galt's men to relax at. Frazer was stood with his arms folded as he scanned his eyes over the Midnight Riders. He then clicked his fingers at Coach and signalled with his thumb that he was to be separated from the rest of the group. As Coach was taken away in a different direction Frazer noticed something that made him feel slightly uncomfortable. With Coach's absence there were five of them left. From what he had heard about Galt's previous dealings with the Midnight Riders and weighing in that Teek was a recent addition; he believed that there should have been eight of them in total meaning that two of the Midnight Riders were missing. Frazer swallowed hard at the thought of two of the Midnight Riders being missing in action so he summoned the attention of one of the armed men, making him come toward him.

'Ralph,' Frazer spoke softly, deliberately. 'I want you to go back to where we picked them up. I believe that one or two of them may be missing.'

'You don't think that was the type of thing that should have been checked while we were there?' Ralph responded. Frazer's menacing glare was enough to send Ralph on his way. He got into a range rover and drove out of the garage with Frazer watching him as he left. As the vehicle drove out of sight, Frazer went back to watch the prisoners being taken away to their holding rooms. With the exception of Coach each of them were thrown into a small dark room the size of a broom cupboard. The room was totally bare and there was no source of light. As each of them were thrown inside with their wrists still tied and their hoods still over their heads, the door was slammed shut behind each of them isolating them from any source of light or sound. They were all completely segregated from anything.

Coach was subjected to comparably much better treatment. He had the bag pulled from his head as soon as he left the garage and as his eyes adjusted to the light he began to make out where he was. He was being pulled through a large elaborate city hall. Chambers, offices and meeting rooms were located in every direction but the only place Coach could look was up. There were several floors up above, each with a large opening in the centre to allow people to look up and down the building. At the very top was an elaborate looking dome with immaculate decoration and patters painted on it. Coach was pulled up some stairs and led through some corridors toward a large set of oak double doors. Frazer opened them and grabbed a hold of Coach, allowing the other escorts to leave. Throwing Coach to a chair, Frazer closed the doors leaving only him, Coach and one other person in the room. It appeared to be a lavish study with bookshelves lining the walls and a large mahogany desk to work on. There was a lounge in front of the desk with comfortable leather sofas and a coffee table. There was a large leather office chair behind the main desk which suddenly spun around. The person sitting in it stood up and leant forward on the desk. He was wearing a white suit and an eerie smile.

'So nice to see you again, Coach,' said Thomas Galt. He looked up at Frazer. 'You may leave us.' Frazer nodded and silently opened and closed the door, leaving Galt and Coach alone. Galt moved around the desk as he spoke to his prisoner. 'It is nice to see you again, truly. We've not had a chance to speak since the incident.'

'The incident?' Coach repeated. 'You mean the whole thing where you shot me and one of my friends? I know; we haven't really kept in touch much since then. It's a shame but hey; I guess attempted murder tends to do that to people.'

'Well what can I say?' Galt shrugged casually. 'I could apologise but I know you wouldn't accept it plus I wouldn't really mean it so there'd be no point in that.'

'Perhaps you could start with why you've kidnapped me and my crew?' Galt's eyebrows twitched as Coach finished speaking.

'Crew?' he repeated, leaning back against the desk. 'A moment ago they were your friends but now they're your crew. How interesting. You're the Thomas Galt of the Midnight Riders.'

'I'm Coach of the Midnight Riders. I'm nothing like you.'

'Oh I think that you are,' Galt opposed. 'I think we are more alike than you'd care to admit. There is very little that separates you and I.'

'Hardly!' Coach argued. 'For one thing I don't send my people out to kidnap folk!'

'I can see you're still a little testy about that,' Galt folded his arms. 'Well I suggest you get over it.'

'I don't think that's going to happen.'

'If you don't get over it I will kill one of your... "crew".' Coach's eyes widened. 'I think I'll start with the young ginger boy. I'll dangle him above the zombies that spit acid and make you watch as he melts away.'

'Okay, fine!' Coach cried. 'What do you want?'

'Excellent,' Galt clapped his hands together. 'I knew you'd play ball.'

'Like I have a choice,' Coach muttered.

'Oh come now,' Galt stood up and began to walk around the room. 'We always have a choice no matter what. People only get themselves into inescapable situations because they are either too weak or too unimaginative to get themselves out of it. For example; your "crew" could chose to break out of their confinement but they won't because they are too weak to do so; each and every one of them.' As Thomas Galt was speaking, Rochelle managed to remove the bag from her head. Silence was still all she could see but that did not matter as she got what she needed. She rolled the bag up and began rubbing it vigorously against the ropes that held her wrists together. Rochelle smiled as she felt the fibres begin to wear away.

'I myself faced quite a tough choice recently,' Galt continued. 'Although I won't bore you with the details let's just say that while you've been so self-absorbed with your crew the world around you has been changing dramatically.'

'Is that right?' Coach did not really care about the rest of the world so his tone was completely dull. 'Let me guess; you've found some way to profit from it?'

'I have indeed,' Galt nodded as he continued to pace around the room. 'I have identified what I need to make my little Clan span across the entire north of America.'

'And what would that be?' Galt stopped in his tracks and pointed to Coach.

'You.'

'Me?'

'You and your Midnight Riders,' he nodded.

'Right...' Coach's interested was suddenly spiked only because he was worried about where this was going. 'Not to be criticizing or anything but our work is usually done best when we're not pulled from our home and dragged across the country blindfolded.'

'Man up,' Galt told him. 'You're attitude is becoming irritating.'

'Look just tell me what you want.'

'Very well,' Galt stopped in front of his desk and leant back on it once more. 'Oliver Rooney's compound has been destroyed. His people have been scattered; hell no one even knows if he is still alive or not. There is a massive opening in that area for someone to move in and take control.'

'I hardly see how that affects me,' Coach responded to the news indifferently.

'Well I wanted to move into Rooney's old compound but it looks like somebody has beaten me to it.' Galt paused, waiting for Coach to ask him who that somebody was. He did not. 'That somebody is an old friend of yours, Coach. Benedict Bevan.'

'BB?' Coach sat forward suddenly. 'You're serious?'

'Oh I am indeed,' Galt nodded.

'Shit,' Coach sat back. 'I haven't seen BB in ages...'

Benedict Bevan was the man who supplied Coach with the Midnight Riders tour bus shortly after he had returned with the others to America. He was a friendly and honest man, the type of guy rarely found in the current climate. Bevan was confined to a wheelchair after losing his legs in Iraq some years earlier so others around him did all of the work while he dictated. He was a natural leader but he was also a fair one. He was a good, honest man and Coach liked him very much. He felt like he owed him a debt for giving him the tour bus as it was the one thing that unified the group, keeping them together.

'Yes well your friend has been making quite a name for himself,' Galt continued, jarring Coach from his reminiscent thoughts. 'He's become quite the businessman, as everyone else has these days. He's amassed a loyal group of followers who would do anything for him. They are each very proficient and have managed to hold off our... negotiation attempts without a single casualty. They appear to have inherited Rooney's arms as well as his base.'

'That's fascinating,' Coach remarked flippantly, 'but I really don't see where me and my... team come into it.'

'Well you get on well with him, don't you?' Coach suddenly sensed where the conversation was going.

'I wouldn't say that,' he lied hastily. 'I doubt he even remembers me.'

'Oh he remembers you,' Galt told him. 'You tend to leave a lasting impression.'

'As do you,' Coach replied.

'Yes but your impression doesn't make him want to shoot you on sight. I want you to go in there and convince him to hand his little Clan over to me.' Coach let out a laugh.

'You must be joking!'

'Do I look like I'm laughing?'

'If an old friend of yours suddenly walked into your life unannounced and told you to give all of this up what would you do?'

'I don't have any old friends.'

'Now why does that not surprise me?' There was a moment of silence. 'Look there's no way I can convince a guy that I owe a favour to, to give up everything he's worked so hard to achieve.'

'I suggest you find a way to encourage this on him otherwise you may find yourself lacking a few teammates.'

'That's it?' Coach asked. 'That's why you assaulted me and my people? So you could threaten me into doing this for you?'

'If you were successful I'd consider the slate with you clean,' Galt cited. 'I'd no longer feel I'd need to retaliate for what you did to Henry James.' There was another pause, this time it was Galt allowing Coach to weigh up his options. 'You'll be sent with my man, Frazer,' he spoke assuming Coach would agree to do what he asked. 'We'll keep an eye on the rest of your people while you're gone and Frazer will keep an eye on you to make sure you don't do anything... ill-advised.'

'I'll need to take a few more people that he will recognise otherwise he'll no something us up.'

'You can take the idiotic mechanic then,' Galt waved his hand. 'But no one else. You'll leave very shortly. Frazer!' The doors opened and Frazer stepped inside. 'Coach has agreed to work with us.' Frazer smiled. 'Untie him.' Frazer did as he was told and Coach massaged his wrists as the ropes fell from them. Galt called another one of his men from the hallway and told him to take Coach to the garage and to get Ellis to meet him there. When Galt and Frazer were left alone, Galt folded his arms. 'Is the device ready?'

'Oh yes,' Frazer nodded. 'We've got five small ones and one large one; each detonated by remote The small ones are about the size of a cell phone and could take out a room this size whereas the large one could take out this entire floor.'

'Perfect,' Galt smiled. 'When you arrive in New Bern; make sure that there are no survivors.' Frazer turned on his heel and left the study. Thomas Galt moved around his desk and took a seat in his chair, letting out a sigh as he put his feet up. A smile formed on his face as he relaxed, thinking of how his empire would expand even further after his bidding had been done.

...

Parked beside the Midnight Riders tour bus was Miguel's jeep and Madison's Mercedes. Everyone was inside the bus, discussing Thomas Galt. Nick had informed everyone of Galt's reputation and of the urgency of the situation as Malcolm outfitted him with one of the headset radios that everyone else was equipped with. Miguel had asked Kathryn back on the Jaeger to redirect satellites over the Capitol building in Boise so that they could see what they were up against. The images were sent through to his computer rather promptly, surprising Madison slightly as she believed Kathryn to be an incompetent fool. Miguel began to analyse the layout of the building before putting his finger on the screen and sliding it to the side, flicking the thermal imaging display on. Miguel shook his head as he saw the heat signatures of roughly one hundred people, sighing dejectedly as he put the device on the table to the back of the bus.

'Okay,' he attempted to sound optimistic but instead he sounded as if he were overcompensating for a near impossible task. 'It looks like we won't be able to storm in there and bust them out.'

'Well I could have told you that,' said Nick. 'You don't become the most powerful Clan leader in the country without having at least one or fifty goons to take all of the bullets for you.'

'They're probably being held in the basement,' Madison stepped close to Miguel, putting her hand on his shoulder so she could lean over and tap the screen of his small personal computer. Miguel looked away from the screen for a moment and allowed his eyes to glance up and down Madison's figure. Her touch was soothing and her scent was sweet despite the amount of sweating she had been doing over the course of the mission. He completely zoned out; everything else melted away leaving nothing left but Madison. 'If we could somehow sneak into the building maybe we could break them out before they know we were there?'

'That's not gonna happen,' Cassandra advised. 'I spent a lot of time with a guy who could be called a competitor to Thomas Galt; a rival you could say.'

'Mom, get to the point,' Zoey urged. Cassandra rolled her eyes and sat forward.

'The point is; that building is locked up tighter than a nun's vagina.'

'Mother!' Zoey exclaimed in absolute horror. Cassandra ignored her daughter's mortification and continued.

'The only way you could get in is if they let you in.'

'Sounds easy enough,' Francis shrugged.

'Yes but it isn't that simple,' Nick declared wearily.

'I wouldn't imagine that this guy would let us roam through his HQ without a leash,' Malcolm agreed.

'He wouldn't,' Cassandra confirmed.

'Well what the hell can we do then?' Bill's tone was mildly frustrated. 'We can't sneak in and we can't slip in under false pretences so what do we do? Is your map giving you any ideas, Miguel?' Miguel did not answer as his mind was elsewhere. Bill looked over at him and saw him looking at Madison and rolled his eyes, muttering something disparaging under his breath. 'Miguel!'

'Yes!' Miguel snapped his head away from Madison and back to the rest of the group. Feeling thankful that Madison had not noticed him checking her out he tried to think of something to say.

'If you take your eyes off her boobs and put them on the ball then you might be able to think more clearly,' Bill advised. As Miguel went red he glared unfavourably at Bill who returned the look with one of equal judgment with a hint of sarcasm.

'Why don't we try and create a distraction?' Louis suggested. 'Like when we're being overrun with zombies we use a pipe bomb to draw them away.'

'What're you suggesting; we bomb the Capitol building?' said Zoey light-heartedly.

'That actually sounds like a good idea,' Cassandra was nodding slowly with her finger in the air. Madison looked at her worriedly.

'Do you have explosives lying around?' She glanced around the bus nervously.

'Of course they don't!' Zoey cried.

'Not unless you count the hundreds of gallons of gasoline we've got stored down below,' Nick muttered.

'I've got the perfect idea!' Cassandra announced. 'I used to run with Oliver Rooney before you had your way with him.' Her finger wiggled between Madison and Malcolm who gave each other incisive looks. 'I think Thomas Galt would be interested in talking to me now that the Roon is no more. You did kill my husband, right?' The straightforwardness of the question along with the sudden divulgence of the information made Miguel, Madison, Malcolm and Nick sway backward slightly.

'Long story,' Zoey said to the sudden questioning expressions.

'Well it doesn't matter if you did or not; the point is that he is out of the picture. I was quite valuable to the Roon meaning I'd be quite valuable to Galt.'

'I don't know,' Zoey was sceptical. 'In what way were you valuable?'

'Well I was essentially his second in command before I got stuck in New York.'

'You managed to get out of New York alive?' Nick leant forward, face wide with awe.

'Yes, honey,' Cassandra patted him on the cheek. 'These guys picked me up.'

'Wow,' Nick sat back. 'You're good.'

'Which is precisely why I think this plan will work,' Cassandra clapped her hands together before placing them on the table. 'If I turn up on the doorstep I'll be guaranteed an audience with Galt. I am certain that he knows of my talents and would want me as part of his team.'

'I don't see how this could help us,' Miguel confessed.

'I thought you were smart, Miggy. If I managed to get inside I'd be at the belly of the beast when things start going really wild.'

'What do you mean?' Bill asked.

'Well when I'm schmoozing the old boy; some of you could start attacking the base.'

'Are you mad?' Zoey cried.

'I told you; we'd never be able to overcome his defences,' Nick repeated.

'Well we wouldn't need to overcome his defences,' Cassandra told him. 'You'd just need to make enough of a fuss to warrant immediate action. I could go in there with a couple of you acting as my "servants" or something.' Bill, Louis and Francis exchanged bemused looks with each other. 'As I'm pleading my case with Galt the place gets attacked and I offer the use of my servants to him. He will agree believing that it'll be a chance to test me and then hey presto! I've given you complete access to his base allowing you to go to the basement and break your friends out.' There was a moment of quiet as everyone reflected on what Cassandra had suggested.

'You know that doesn't sound half bad,' Madison admitted.

'Really?' Miguel looked to her, surprised. 'Seriously?'

'What's wrong Miggy?' Cassandra asked.

'Well firstly, you can stop calling me that,' Miguel told her. 'And secondly; what happens to the distraction team? They'll get slaughtered.'

'Are you sure about that?' Cassandra sat back. 'I mean you're not trying to break in; you're just causing a fuss so you can remain covered at all times. Besides you've got that satellite that can sense how hot people are. Surely you can use that to cover you?'

'That sounds not half bad,' Louis praised her.

'We've got to make sure that Kathryn doesn't screw up,' Madison sighed.

'What about getting them out of there?' Miguel asked. 'Even in the chaos of a gunfight; we won't be able to sneak them out without being spotted.'

'We could use that nifty jeep of yours,' Cassandra shrugged. 'It could fit all six of them inside. It would be a bit of a squeeze but it's possible. I could roll up with two guys at my side, maybe Francis and Louis. The rest of you could spread out attack from multiple positions. That'd give us all enough time to get your buddies out, into the jeep and then drive away. It'd be over before Galt knew what hit him.'

'It sounds dangerous,' Zoey said softly. Cassandra took her hand and squeezed it gently.

'We can do it, sweetie,' she told her.

'It sounds like we have to do it unless anyone can think of any other plan?' Miguel asked to a room of silence. 'Okay,' he nodded. 'I guess that'll be that. We'll split into three teams; A, B and C. I will lead team A and it will consist of myself...'

'Obviously,' Bill remarked flippantly under his breath. Miguel ignored his comment and continued with assigning who would be to his team.

'Followed by Cassandra and Francis. Team B will be led by Madison and will consist of Bill and Zoey using the Mercedes. Team C will have Louis and Nick in the bus, led by Malcolm.'

'How come you're changing my line-up?' Cassandra asked Miguel defensively.

'One of my crew needs to be with you at all times,' Miguel explained to her. 'So listen; are we ready to go?'

'The sooner the better,' Nick recommended. 'Who knows what Thomas Galt's doing to them...'

As soon as Nick finished speaking, Thomas Galt stepped into the long corridor that held the isolation rooms. After walking down a set of stone steps his feet squelched on the damp ground. On each side of the corridor were a row of metallic doors, seven on each side. He ambled through the corridor slowly with his hands behind his back. He had a slight spring in his step as he glanced from one door at one side of the room to the parallel door on the other side. Two armed men were positioned at the foot of the stairs with four armed men in the corridor itself; two on each side. He was followed by an escort of two more armed men who shadowed him silently. Galt scanned the name tags written on each door; each was written on a whiteboard and marker pen. He stopped moving as he saw "F-Nigger" written on one of the boards.

'Okay, who wrote that?' Galt asked with a tone similar to that of a parent disappointed with something their child had done. He stepped over to it and pointed at the writing while glancing at each of his men. 'I think we're mature enough to put the racist language behind us, don't you think? In future boys; let's watch the swearing.' There was a moment of quiet before Galt looked back and wiped the message off with a faint smile. 'That'd being said I do like a bit of dark chocolate from time to time.' He glanced to his two escorts. 'Have her prepared and sent to my room.' Walking past them, Galt began moving up the stairs while his men began to unlock Rochelle's door.

As soon as the lock opened the door burst open and Rochelle leapt from her prison, knocking two of the guards aside. Galt stopped on the steps and glanced around at the scene as the six other guards sprung into action. Rochelle was instantly surrounded so she jumped in the air while spinning, flicking her leg out to kick her attackers away. With a single moment to her advantage, Rochelle leapt forward and punched one of the guards in the face with her bare fist. Someone else grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up off her feet. She lifted her legs high in the air and wrapped then around another guard's neck and snapped it. As he fell dead, she kicked the corpse down the hall, it knocking into two approaching men. She then jilted her head back, smacking into the man who was holding her and breaking his nose. He let go of her and she spun on her heel and punched him in the face, knocking him out. Someone grabbed her from behind once again and covered her mouth with his hand, holding her close to his body in an effective restraint. A few other people surrounded her and began punching her in the stomach repeatedly. Rochelle slipped off her feet, being held up by her captor while she was assaulted continually by the guards.

'That's enough!' Galt ordered, his voice echoing across the corridor. The beating suddenly stopped and Rochelle fell limp, coughing up a mouthful of blood that splattered over all of those around her. 'You've ruined her now!' Galt cried with great disappointment. He turned and waved his hand at them. 'Just put her away and get yourselves cleaned up.' As he walked up the stairs, Rochelle was tossed back into her cell with the door slamming shut behind her. As the guards went away to have their injuries looked at, Rochelle crawled over to the wall of her prison, pulling herself up and sitting down with her back resting on the wall. To Thomas Galt and his men her escape attempt was thwarted. The forming smile on Rochelle's bruised face signified that she thought that her plan was successful.

...

The initial month after the first recorded infection was devastating to the United States and the surrounding countries. As all forms of law and order had been destroyed, the emergency services were wiped out and civilisation has crumbled. Climbing out of the ruins of society were some people who were determined to rebuild. While some people were like Thomas Galt; building up an empire for personal gain some were like Benedict Bevan and attempted to help as many people as they could. These people tended to not last very long in the new world but Benedict had something so incredibly likeable about him. He was kind, gentle and sensitive. Some people pitied him for his disability; the first thing that they saw when they saw him was the fact that he had no legs. People who tried to think that he was weak were quickly mistaken when they experienced his charm and charisma. He was a genuine person, one who Coach had a great deal of respect for.

It was four weeks after the first infection when Coach and the others first met Benedict. The group only consisted of Coach, Nick, Ellis, Rochelle and Norah back then making it harder to fight off the infected. They were struggling to survive and desperate for supplies. The hope of rescue had faded away from the minds of those still living despite the short time that had gone by. The only thing that occupied the minds of those who were still alive were the thoughts of reconstruction. Benedict had already started to rebuild by saving a small community from the grasp of the infected. After shooting out all of the infected, Benedict and his Clan moved into the small community that consisted only of a few houses and shops and made it their own.

Coach led his group of weary survivors into Benedict's community as they were running through torrential rain. With the roads flooded deep with water, each footstep and every extra raindrop sent high splashes of water everywhere. The splashes were so frequent and numerous that there appeared to be a substantial haze above the surface of the water. As the survivors pushed their way through the soaked, noisy haze, they were shooting at the infected that were also trying to keep up in the storm. The Hunters could not pounce as the water was too high. The Smokers could not drag their victims through the water as it was too difficult. The Boomers were nowhere to be seen as the force of the rainfall caused them to explode. Running into the small community the survivors could not see any signs of life not that they were looking for any. Shooting through any interference; the survivors saw a large building that they identified as their target. They each ran for the shelter as fast as they could, each step bringing them closer to sanctuary. The doors before them were a set of double doors with a bar for a handle. They looked like the fire exit to the building that led to a car park that still had a few abandoned vehicles there. The rainwater was so high it reached the top of the wheels. Coach was the first to reach the door, pushing through it and running into the shelter of a large, empty warehouse while being closely followed by the others. When the door slammed shut behind them, they all looked up to see a group of people suddenly cock their weapons and aim them at them. Nick, Rochelle, and Ellis were fast enough to lift their weapons up in response before someone shouted at them to not move.

The situation looked tense. In front of Coach were two groups of people. There were four men to the left, each were remarkably indistinguishable. To the right were another four people. One was a tall, slightly chubby young woman. Another was an older gentleman with slicked back grey hair. One was a young teenage boy who was stood behind a man in a wheelchair; Benedict Bevan. Benedict was slim, had long dark curly hair and a straight, almost gaunt face. He had no legs so he wore loose shorts over his waist. It appeared that Coach and the others had just barged in on a tense standoff. One of the men from the group to the left stepped forward. He was clearly the leader and he glanced between Benedict's group and Coach's.

'These your reinforcement, Bevan?' he let out a single laugh. 'They look a little wet behind the ears.'

'Oh look!' Rochelle announced loudly. 'He's punning at people he doesn't know!'

'You better turn your asses around and go back the way you came.'

'I wonder how confident you'd be if I corpsed you up...' Rochelle wondered aloud.

'Rochelle!' Coach scolded. He did not want what was already a tense situation to get even worse. He lifted his hands to his sides but stood his ground. 'We didn't want to cause any trouble; we were just looking for shelter from the storm.'

'The water's risin' pretty fast and there are Swimmers out there,' Ellis added.

'They're right, Jackson,' Benedict said to the angry man. 'Why don't we just take a step back and cool off?'

'Why don't you just move out of here?' Jackson suggested. 'I can see what you're doing here; you're trying to gang up on me.'

'Well we do outnumber you,' Rochelle pointed out. Coach shot her a crazed look.

'We're not choosing sides,' he assured the two parties.

'Oh really?' Jackson looked to him defensively. 'Alright then: if you're going to remain on the fence then maybe you could offer an impartial opinion? Say you had to leave your home and your town when the zombies started to attack and then you try to come back after some time has passed to rebuild your life only to find these squatters have moved in and taken everything from you. What would you do?'

'I said we could sort something out!' Benedict insisted.

'Shut the hell up!' Jackson aimed the gun that was held in his trembling hand at him. 'I wanted the black guy's opinion.' Jackson looked back to Coach and awaited his response.

'Well...' Coach muttered nervously. 'I guess that if I was in the... squatters' position then I'd be less inclined to give you what you wanted when you threaten me with a gun.'

'Bullshit,' Jackson spat. Coach took one defiant step forward.

'You know me and my guys along with these guys over here,' he gestured to Benedict and his people, 'we do outnumber you. Well spotted, Ro.'

'Thanks, Coach.'

'So why don't you take some of your own advice?' Coach suggested. 'How about you turn your asses around and go back the way you came?' Jackson looked at Coach venomously but knew that this was a fight that he could not win. He looked to his men and shared a look with them before pushing past the survivors to get to the door. Jackson turned around as the doors opened, glaring menacingly at everyone.

'I'll see you all again... maybe,' he told them before walking away outside in the rain. As the doors shut, Coach closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

'Thank you,' Benedict pushed his chair over to them. 'I dare say you folks have just saved my bacon.'

'We're rad like that,' Nick commented.

'Those guys troubled you before?' Norah asked.

'Not at all,' said the chubby woman who went to Benedict's side. 'They're bad apples who want to be put in our basket. They're no good.'

'Gee; everyone's using metaphors today,' Rochelle remarked under her breath.

'I'm Benedict Bevan,' Benedict held out his hand to shake Coach's. He went on to introduce the woman as Pam, the older gentleman as Waylon and the teenager as Drake. As Coach was halfway through introducing his group of people there was a gunshot from outside as Jackson began shooting at one of the parked cars. The vehicle's alarm began to sound, cutting through the roar of the weather. Everyone looked at each other worriedly.

'Shit,' Nick yelled.

'It's okay,' Norah said optimistically. 'There are nine of us. We can fight them off.'

'Yeah but all of our weapons are empty,' Pam informed her.

'What?' Coach looked baffled. 'How were you in a standoff with empty guns?'

'Let's just say it's a damn good thing you showed up,' Drake commented. The distant roar of the infected resonated through the walls. Coach cocked his gun and looked to the door.

'Okay guys;' he said. 'Let's keep these people safe!'

Still soaked to their skin with rainwater, the five survivors split up. Ellis and Norah went to Benedict and his people to share some weapons and ammunition with them while Nick and Coach ran to the doors and opened them. Rochelle quickly checked out the perimeter to see if there was any other location where the infected could come at them from. She quickly determined that the infected could only get inside from the open door that Coach and Nick were guarding.

'I see them,' Nick warned.

'Close the door!' Drake cried.

'Them zombies will cut through that door in a few seconds,' Ellis told him. 'With it open we can shoot them as they come and then seal the place off when they're all dead.' Nick and Coach began shooting at the approaching infected. Due to the severity of the flooding, they were wading slower than they could usually move making it easy for the survivors to pick them off from a distance with their weapons. As the infected were easily picked off by Coach and Nick who were then joined by Rochelle and Ellis, a sudden appearance of ripples in the deep floodwater caused Rochelle to step back.

'We got a Swimmer!' she announced. Nick looked back to her.

'Where?' he asked. Shooting from under the surface of the water, a small tentacle that was thinner than a Smoker's tongue wrapped around Nick, pulling him beneath the surface of the water. Through the murky environment, Nick saw the Swimmer. The shape of the head was pointed, almost triangular toward the mouth. The skin around the mouth was gone leaving its teeth as sharp as a Witch's claws clearly visible. The gum line had deteriorated making them appear longer. They were white, bright and stood out in the darkness. The rest of the infected's body was elongated. Bony contusions that looked like ribs ran around its body. The arms had claws at the end and the feet had extra skin grown between the toes; allowing the Swimmer to tear through the water almost effortlessly. The infected then launched itself up into the air, taking Nick along with it. As they fell back down, Nick was injured as his body crashed against the surface of the water. The Swimmer continued to go this, hurting Nick in the process until Ellis shot it dead in the air. The feeler slipped off Nick and he fell to the water for the final time, floating face down on the surface.

Other ripples were rapidly approaching their location so Coach and Rochelle began shooting at them while Ellis jumped back into the floodwater to pull Nick to safety. Laying him down back in the warehouse, Ellis went back to shoot the infected away as Nick began to cough up a mouthful of bloody water. The bodies of the Swimmers floated to the surface and just when Coach thought that they had shot all of them the final one leapt from the water straight for him. It pushed through the survivors and splattered into the warehouse. The infected let out a shrill screech and arched its back upward.

'Get down!' Rochelle shouted. The bony ribs that surrounded the beast suddenly shot out from it, sending a gory mess splattering all over. Waylon was hit with one of them and fell down to the ground instantly. The rest of the survivors managed to avoid it.

While the alarming car was carried off by the rainwater, Ellis shut the door after being satisfied that the danger had passed. Coach and Norah ran to Waylon who was lying on the ground with his eyes wide open. The bony tissue that had come from the Swimmer was stuck to his shoulder. It was pulsating.

'Is he dead?' Pam asked, her voice shaking.

'He will be if we don't act fast,' Norah sighed, kneeling down next to him. She took out a syringe from her bag and removed the plastic tip. Pushing the plunger slightly to let the air out of the needle, she placed it on Waylon's chest.

'What is that thing?' Drake asked, cautiously approaching him.

'It's a parasite,' Coach explained. 'It is draining Waylon's blood while pumping him full of bad shit. In short; kill him within five minutes unless we do something.' Ellis joined Norah, kneeling on the other side of Waylon. She handed him her bag and he took out another syringe and prepared it. Norah was using clothing scissors to cut the fabric around the parasite.

'What's in the shots?' Benedict asked.

'Cyanide,' Ellis said with a matter-of-fact tone. 'We're gonna kill the bug with it.'

'What?' Pam protested. 'Won't that also kill Waylon? Can't you just pull it off?'

'If we pulled it off he'd die of blood loss,' Coach told her. 'We won't poison him.'

'That's what this is for,' Norah gestured to her syringe. 'It has a mix of nitrates and hydroxocobalamin.'

'I don't know what that is and can't even speak it so that's why she has it,' Ellis remarked.

'It should stop the cyanide from killing Waylon,' Norah finished exposing the skin around the parasite. Ells leant over to inject it but Pam grabbed his arm, looking to Benedict.

'You can't be okay with this!' she cried. Benedict looked at Waylon and then to Ellis and Norah. He swallowed hard.

'He's dead if we don't do anything,' he sighed, nodding at Ellis to continue.

'You ready?' Ellis asked Norah. She nodded once and he stuck the needle into the parasite and pumped it full of poison. Everyone leant in close to get a closer look. The pale colour suddenly darkened and a squeaking sound was then heard. Norah then jabbed her syringe into Waylon's chest just before he started heaving for breath. He convulsed momentarily with Ellis protecting the back of his head with his hands. Waylon then started to calm down and the parasite soon slipped off his body leaving a large section of skinless shoulder. Norah began disinfecting and bandaging the wound.

'He'll be okay,' she reported, her voice sounding tired and strained.

'Good job,' Coach patted her on the back and looked over to Benedict.

'Looks like you came at just the right time for us,' Benedict smiled. 'You're our guardian angels.'

'Always happy to help a friend in need,' Coach replied.

'Indeed,' Benedict nodded. 'As are we. Are you part of any Clan?'

'Benny!' Pam objected with a hiss. She stepped close to him, awkwardly smiling at Coach before whispering in Benedict's ear. 'We just met these people.'

'Yes and they've proven how good they are,' Benedict replied. 'I think it'd be good if we got some guys like these involved with us.'

'That's exactly what got us in the situation with Jackson,' Pam cried. 'Your God-damn trusting nature.'

'We're not looking to cause any fuss,' Coach assured them, holding up his hands. 'We were just looking for a place to wait out the storm.'

'Well you can stay with us as long as you'd like,' Benedict told him. 'As you said; it's always good to help a friend out a friend in need.'

Coach smiled at Benedict, already sensing the friendship that the two would develop over the next few days. Coach thought about this friendship as he stepped out of the police car that Frazer was driving in front of Benedict's new compound. He felt terribly saddened about the fact he needed to deceive him in order to save his people. He felt sick and angry with himself at the thought of his impending betrayal. Ellis, who was at his side, felt similar after Coach had told him what needed to be done. Purging the reminiscent thoughts from his mind, Coach stepped over to the main gates of Benedict's compound to talk to the guard on duty.

'What do you want?' the man asked as Coach, Ellis and Frazer stepped up to the gate. Ellis looked around the front of what used to be the mansion of Oliver Rooney and his nostrils flared as he saw the numerous corpses that lay there.

'Tell Benedict that Coach is here.'

'I don't tell anyone anything unless I get a reason for why you're here,' was Coach's response. Coach sighed and casually leant back.

'Do I need a reason to stop by and visit an old friend?'

'Coach?' Behind the guard a middle-aged gentleman had stopped walking as he just saw who was there. Waylon stepped over to the gate with a smile on his face. 'Is that big Coach of the Midnight Riders?'

'Good to see your memory is better than your eyesight,' Coach remarked, shaking Waylon's hand through the gap in the fence. 'How's things going?'

'It's good to see you again,' Waylon told him. 'How are the old gang?'

'Same old,' Coach shrugged. 'They're off with the bus trying to make a deal with Jackson and I thought I'd come by and say hello after hearing of your good fortune.'

'You want in, don't you?' Waylon grinned at him before suddenly realising that the guard was still there. 'Why don't you open the gate for our friends?' he asked him.

As Coach, Ellis, Frazer and Waylon made their way across the courtyard, Waylon was explaining Benedict's acquisition of the area.

'It's like he won the lottery: seriously we just came across this place and it was deserted. We killed all of the zombies and made it our own. We've moved everyone from all over the country to this one spot because he wanted to make sure that they were safe. He didn't want to build and empire like Thomas Galt. He just wants to live comfortably.' Frazer snorted as he heard Waylon speak. Waylon turned to face him. 'I'm sorry I didn't quite get your name...'

'This is Frazer,' Coach spoke hastily. 'He's the newest member of our little family.'

'The black sheep,' Ellis added.

'Well good for you, Frazer,' Waylon smiled. 'Coach is a good man.'

'I don't know if that's so true...' Coach muttered.

'Oh don't be so humble,' Waylon laughed. 'You've done a lot of good in your time and you're going to do a lot more.'

Coach fell uneasily silent as he was led through the mansion into Benedict's room. Up a set of stairs, Benedict's office was located at the mouth of the grand staircase. Inside, Benedict sat with Pam around his desk, both deeply engrossed in discussion. Benedict looked up as Coach entered the room and his face lit up.

'Coach!' he cried. 'My God it's been years!'

'I've not even known you a year,' Coach pointed out.

'Oh you know what I mean!' Benedict wheeled around the table as Pam stood up. 'Come here and shake my hand!' Coach firmly grasped the palm of his friend, smiling at him. His smile seemed oddly false to Benedict. Holding onto his hand for slightly longer than usual, Benedict attempted to see through Coach's expression but found the handshake broken promptly. Looking at Coach suspiciously, Benedict went over to Ellis. 'My boy it's been too long!' Ellis went up to Benedict and embraced him in the chair, squeezing him tight. Benedict laughed and hugged him back, patting Ellis' shoulder. His gaze then shifted to Frazer.

'I'm new,' Frazer said before introducing himself.

'Nice to meet you,' Benedict shook his hand after Ellis stepped away.

'I'm breaking him in,' Coach lied. 'I wanted him to meet the man who got me on my feet.'

'Oh stop flattering him, Coach,' Pam told him. 'He's got enough people kissing his ass already.'

'It's quite enjoyable, actually,' Benedict joked. 'So it's good to see you.'

'It's been too long,' Coach told him. 'I heard of your newfound fortune and I'm ashamed to say I just had to see it for myself to believe it.'

'I still can't believe it to be honest,' Benedict sighed. 'I mean I literally just stumbled on this place and there's more out the back. There's a couple of buildings out back that we're still clearing. I've got some work for you if you're interested in joining me?'

'We've been down this road before, Benny,' Coach told him light-heartedly. 'I like living on the road.'

'I knew I'd be dreaming if I thought we'd team up,' Benedict sighed. 'We could do good work, you and I.'

'Well not everything I do is good,' Coach said genuinely. 'Everything I touch seems to turn to shit.'

'Yes I had heard about your encounter with Henry James,' Benedict sat back. 'I bet Galt was pissed off. I sent a few messengers looking for you to warn you but they each came back with nothing.'

'I appreciate your concern,' Coach told him, a heavy feeling sinking in his chest.

'Well you've done a lot for me,' Benedict smiled. 'I gotta help a friend in need. So whatever happens you've always got a place here, you know that.'

'That sounds like a good offer,' Coach told him. 'To be honest every day the thought of not being a leader sounds better and better.' Pam observed the look that Coach and Benedict were sharing and stepped into action.

'Ellis, Frazer, let me show you around,' she offered. After ushering the two out, with Frazer expressing severe displeasure at the thought, Coach and Benedict were left alone.

'Take a seat,' Benedict offered Coach a side area with some fancy looking sofas. Coach sat down as Benedict wheeled himself over next to him.

'This is a real nice place,' Coach told him.

'It's okay,' Benedict nodded. 'It's a bitch getting up the stairs though.' Coach smiled and laughed before there was a moment of silence. 'Is everything okay, Coach?'

'What do you mean?' Coach asked. 'Everything's fine.'

'Are you sure?' Benedict asked. 'I'm a fairly good judge of character as you know and I can sense when people have something on their minds.'

'Nothing's on my mind...' Coach told him before biting his lower lip as he saw Benedict's expression telling him that he wasn't buying it. 'I lost someone recently; Danielle.'

'Danielle?' Benedict repeated with shock. 'Oh Coach; I'm so sorry! I only met her that one time but she was a good girl. What happened?'

'Nick accidentally shot her,' Coach ran his hand over his sweaty forehead. 'There's been some tension in the group especially between Norah and Nick. Nick's gone missing now and we don't know where he is.'

'Christ...' Benedict muttered. 'I can help you look for him if you want?'

'No you don't have to do that,' Coach told him.

'I think that I do,' Benedict sat forward. 'You and your Midnight Riders are like family. No, scratch that, you are family. You're close with all of the people you take care of; that's what I admire about you. We had a few losses recently too, but they didn't affect me as yours have affected you.' Benedict licked his dry lips. 'I'd swap places with you, Coach. I really would, you know. I want to have a family like you have. I have employees, not family.'

'You're close with Waylon and Pam,' Coach pointed out.

'Two out of a hundred,' Benedict shrugged. 'I know I'm safer with more people around and they're safer with more people around but... I dunno; I envy you, Coach.' There was a moment of silence. 'How's Drake? I miss him, you know.'

'He misses you, too,' Coach said. 'He's getting quite close with Teek.'

'Your messenger?'

'Yeah he's joined us, too.'

'Wow,' Benedict sighed. 'We've got a lot to catch up on. Tell me everything.'

...

Several of the guards who had been injured by Rochelle were sat on the bed in the infirmary, sweating heavily. The nurse had finished cleaning up their injuries and was writing something down when the doors opened and Galt stepped inside. He stood up to greet him, stepping outside to give the wounded some peace.

'We have a problem,' the nurse said. 'Most of the guys who've come to me have been suffering from symptoms of the infection.'

'What kind of infection?' Galt asked. There was a pause while the nurse gave him a worried look. 'What? Wait, you mean _the_ infection?'

'Yes,' the nurse confirmed.

'But we're all immune?'

'Don't ask me to explain it but they appear to be infected...'

'It was that Rochelle,' Galt hypothesised after a moment of thought. 'She's made them all sick.'

'How?' the nurse shrugged. 'She had all of her things taken away from her when she got here, surely?'

'Maybe she snuck something in? She's a crafty one. We've had problems with her before.'

'Well what do we do?'

'Kill everyone who has signs of infection,' Galt said without hesitation. 'That way we can prevent any...'

A Boomer burst through the doors of the infirmary suddenly. Galt looked over at it as it roared, sending bile at him and the nurse. Back inside the infirmary the other guards had been replaced by infected. There was one Smoker, a Hunter and a half mutated Tank that was still transforming. It let out a loud cry of pain as the infected began to spread through the Capitol building.


	11. The Story of the End of the World Part 2

_**The Midnight Riders**_

Chapter Nine – The Story of the End of the World Part Two

The Midnight Riders. It was the name a group of four heavily tattooed, liberally leathered and hygiene deficient bikers used to label themselves to the world. They were a music band. They rose to fame in one evening twenty-seven years ago and had released twenty-three albums in the wake of their success. Even when one of the originals had passed away to be replaced by someone new, the spirit and energy of the Midnight Riders still flowed through the night sky. Ox, Smitty, Jake and Dusty were the Midnight Riders, doing what they could to leave their mark on the world. People like Coach and Ellis loved their music while people like Francis simply loved their style. Even if it could not be immediately seen, the spirit of the Midnight Riders lived on within those people.

In the world that was left behind the mark the Midnight Riders had left could still be seen, not that anyone did, however. Through all of the violence, death and infected the memory of the Midnight Riders, which was once the most popular music group in America, started to slowly fall away to be forgotten like everything else in the previous world. The end of the world meant the end of the Midnight Riders.

Or did it?

This thought was not going through Coach's mind when he sat down with Benedict Bevan that one evening two weeks after they had first met. They were within the perimeter of Benedict's little commune of fifty-four people, one of the first Clans to emerge from the ruins of American society. Benedict and Coach got on very well, even though they had only known each other for a relatively short time. Coach and the others had saved Benedict's life along with the lives of some of his closest people during the recent storms. Benedict would never forget this and would always consider himself to be in Coach's debt, which is why he invited him and the others to stay with him for a while and see what Clan life was like.

In all fairness Coach found it remarkably pleasant. Everyone was very friendly toward him and the others making a welcome change from the psychopaths that they were used to running into. In fact everyone had taken to Clan life like a duck to water. Norah enjoyed getting to know Pam and Waylon, Benedict's advisors. Nick and Ellis appreciated the female attention that they received as the air of post-apocalyptic evenings was thick with hormones. Rochelle spent most of her time with the people in charge of security, sharing weapon tips and combat skills. She was glad to be away from Nick, who she was not fully comfortable with at the time.

The paradise Benedict was living in was almost too good to be true. But it was. The five survivors had tasted serenity and they liked it.

"We can't stay," Norah announced suddenly when the five of them were all together one evening. It had only been a few days and the rain was still pouring, although it was slightly less severe than when they had arrived. The flooding had subsided leaving only soggy, sludgy grass and mud. They were stood outside of one of the buildings underneath a thin overhang that was used as a shelter for people who wanted a cigarette in the world before. Ellis' jaw dropped when Norah told them her opinion.

"You can't be serious."

"I'm afraid I am, Ellis. This place is wonderful, don't get me wrong, but we can't stay here."

"And why not?" Rochelle asked. She was leaning against the wall, her arms folded. "They seem to like us here."

"We can't go committing ourselves," Norah explained. "It's bad enough that we're here now; we've never stayed in one place for too long."

"Maybe that's where we're going wrong?" Nick shrugged. "We only have five of us whereas there are over fifty of them. There's strength in numbers, Norah. We can make a life for ourselves here."

"But we're not supposed to be making a life for ourselves!" Norah cried over the rain. Coach looked around to see if anyone else had heard her yelling but it appeared that her voice was drowned out by the rainfall. "We're supposed to stick together and wait for rescue."

"Why can't we do that here?" Ellis asked. "I know I may not be the brightest light on the Christmas tree but even I can see that we gots ourselves more of a chance survivin' with these guys than we do out on our own."

"What would you rather have, Ellis?" Norah's expression was serious, her tone immediate. "Would you rather live the rest of your days in this Clan or whatever they call it; working for Benedict, sleeping in the bunks and fighting the zombies or would you rather be outcast and one day leave this place and go back to civilisation and never look back?"

"I really don't understand why we can't wait for rescue here," Ellis told her. He was starting to look slightly upset.

"No one is going to come back for anyone," Coach said. Norah looked at him, closed her eyes and nodded slowly to confirm what he had said.

"You're shitting me!" Nick cried while Rochelle remained silent.

"No government of the world is going to risk the virus breaking out elsewhere in the world by mounting rescue operations for the rest of the survivors," Norah explained with a very grim tone. The sky seemed to get darker as she spoke. "The only reason we are getting rescue is because it'll be our reward for our part in taking down the Director. We just need to hide out while Eddy and those other guys do their bit and come and get us."

"That's all well and good," Nick began pacing while holding his finger in the air. 'But what happens if the others don't do their job? What happens if the Director wins; I mean, hell, he's already responsible for the zombie outbreak and we even ran _toward_ almost certain death to be protected from him. What's to say that Admiral guy, your best buddy and a bunch of civvies can pull this off?"

"What's to say they can't?" Rochelle responded. She pushed herself away from the wall as Nick turned to look at her, surprised at her sudden optimism. "I'm with Norah; we need to be independent. If we do get rescued and we're surrounded by guys like these then it could make them realise that no one is ever coming for them and they'd lose that one fragment of hope they have left. The results could be widespread and even more damaging than the virus itself."

"I'm starting to get the feeling that we're not going to stay here for very long," Nick muttered. Rochelle rested her hand on his shoulder but remained silent as he looked over at her. The two merely exchanged looks of sadness and ultimately understanding. Rochelle shared a knowing gaze with Norah and the two turned to Ellis who immediately held up his hands.

"Don' worry; I'm going where y'all are goin'. You folks are my family."

"Yes," Coach clapped his hands suddenly, startling Ellis. "No matter what happens we must always stick together. We must always be a team."

"I agree," Norah nodded, "but in order for a team to be effective there needs to be a leader."

"Why don't you do it?" Coach gestured to her. "You seem to have a good handle on things here."

"I'm not sure about that..." Norah glanced around at the others. Upon seeing their expressions of support and approval she sighed and shrugged. "Oh why not? I was Secretary of Homeland Security. How hard can it be to lead four people?" She held out her hand toward the centre of the group. Everyone then placed their own above hers so that everyone was leaning toward the centre of the circle. "I'll try to do you proud."

"We know you will," Coach smiled at her as everyone broke away from the centre. "So what we need to do now is figure out where to go."

"Or find out how to get there," Ellis suggested. "It's pourin' and I don't really fancy carryin' all my stuff through the thunder clouds."

"I guess we need to find ourselves a vehicle..." Coach thought aloud.

Several days went by as the group attempted to secure a vehicle from Benedict's Clan. Of course cars were incredibly useful in the new world so Benedict would be reluctant to just haphazardly give one away even if he did feel indebted to the people who were in need of it. The thought of simply stealing one from him had crossed through Nick's mind and he even voiced his idea to Ellis who promptly scolded him for thinking in such a way. Ellis told Nick to keep all similar ideas to himself from now on. Coach quietly agreed with Ellis, not so much for the plan being morally wrong but he did not wish to make an enemy out of his friend Benedict on top of the fact he was quite a powerful man. As days turned into weeks, the bonds that everyone developed with members of Benedict's Clan became stronger, the very relationship between Coach and the man in charge being an example of this. With the ground dry and the sky clear, Benedict invited Coach to join him for a drink by the stream. He wheeled his chair out to a nice spot near the main buildings, having young teenager Drake deliver the oil lantern for light, an extra chair for Coach to sit on and a cooler filled with chilled beverages. Coach was surprised to find that when he sat down the bottles were actually of alcohol, a rare sight these days.

Benedict opened two bottles of beer, handing Coach one. He made a toast to friendship, which Coach raised his bottle to and then eagerly began to drink. The bitter taste was delicious. Benedict rested his hands and his bottle in his lap and let out a gentle breath as he looked at the stream that lazily flowed by. In the distance the sun was already beginning to set and the two men simply sat there for a few minutes to watch the view. Another rare occurrence these days was the opportunity to appreciate the sunset without some drama interfering. The two sat there silently for a moment, watching the sun slowly sink toward the horizon.

"So you're not gonna join us?" Benedict asked, his tone light and his eyes focused on the view. Coach glanced at him, the imprint of the light still visible in his eye as he looked away.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Benedict lifted the bottle to his mouth. "You gotta do what you gotta do and I ain't gonna hold you back." He paused for a moment. "I ain't gonna hold no one back."

"It's got nothing to with you, I swear."

"What is the reason?"

"It's us," Coach slouched in his chair. "It's... complicated."

"It's not you it's me?" Benedict summarised with a smile. "Christ, one of my girlfriends used that line on me before she started dating my best friend." A grin formed on Coach's face and he began to chuckle. He ran his hand over his face and sighed.

"We just need to keep moving," he explained.

"Is that what you all agree on or is it just your leader's opinion?"

"Norah loves it here," Coach told him truthfully, "but we all agree that we need to move on. We can't stay in one place too long." Although Benedict did not say anything, Coach got the feeling that more of an explanation was needed. He wanted to tell him everything about the rescue plan, mostly because he wanted to voice how unlikely he truly felt that it was. He admired Norah's optimism but deep down he was more realistic. He spent his life as an educator doing what he could to make sure that his students could reach their potential but he never once gave anyone false hope and he never wished for anyone to bestow false hope upon him. The chances of a rag-tag group of civilians bringing down the director of an organisation who had destroyed the country while pretty much getting away with it was beyond marginal; they were not even minuscule. He longed to stay there with Benedict and live as normal a life as possible but he simply could not and not just for those reasons.

"We've all lost people," said Coach. "I'm not sure we can handle the risk of losing anyone else." Benedict thought this over for a moment, doing nothing except for take another sip of beer. "I lost Ruth, Ellis lost his best friend... hell; Norah lost the whole damn country. We've all got issues, Benedict. There ain't no way we can start committing ourselves after everything we've lost; we're just too damn damaged."

"Say no more," Benedict held up a hand for emphasis. He did not want to make Coach feel uncomfortable. "If there is anything that I can do then please let me know. I owe you."

As the sun dipped beneath the horizon turning the rich orange sky into a dark one, flies began congregating around the oil lamp between them. The breeze left in the sun's wake was cool but the warmth of the lamp was sufficient enough to keep it at bay. Coach took in a breath and finished his bottle, placing it down on the ground.

"Well there is one thing you could do for us I guess," he said in a voice so quiet it was almost a whisper. Benedict looked over and simply shrugged.

"Name it."

"You have any jobs going?"

"Jobs?"

"Yeah like errands you need running or whatever. I assume you've got a lot to do and you make a lot of the people here do work to earn their keep since a lot of people go out and bring stuff back. I was wondering if we could do something like that for you."

"That sounds an awful lot like work for my people," Benedict smiled as he finished his own beer.

"Think of it as a job accomplished by freelancers," Coach worded it differently. "Anything will do."

"Why do you want work when you don't want to stay?"

"Because of what I want to ask you next," Coach inhaled deeply. "We sort of need a vehicle."

"A car?"

"Anything will do; even one of them small hatchbacks that you got will do us right. We just need something to get us from A to... wherever."

"Coach you saved my life," Benedict reminded him. "You don't need to work for it. You can just take anything you want."

"I don't think so," Coach shook his head. "You've put me and the others up for two weeks. I'm sure Norah would agree that you've already paid back any debt." Benedict sighed. Coach was stubborn so he knew that he would get what he wanted. Benedict counted himself fortunate that Coach did not want anything major.

"You can have a car," he told him. "No problem. Let me think what you can do... ah yes! Drake was going out to return a few gallons of petrol to Jackson and his men."

"Really?" Coach frowned. Considering that Jackson was the man that he had saved Benedict from, he found this news surprising. "Why?"

"Because among other things Jackson believes that we owe him that. It is true that we owe him some petrol and I'll donate it to him along with a car as a sort of peace offering. Jackson only has seven people, including himself in his Clan. We could overpower them, yes, but that's not the way I do things. I prefer to be more civil; it's more humane."

And stupid, Coach thought.

"Anyway the point is your guys could ride along with him... an escort if you will."

"You were gonna send an eighteen year old out on his own?"

"Drake is very... obstinate," was his response. "He refused any other help, claiming that he is not a little boy. I was planning on sending someone anyway so we can just let it be you."

"Sounds good to me," Coach shrugged. "I'll run it by Norah to see if she's okay with it."

"Take your time," Benedict said, leaning down to reach for two more beers from the cooler. He handed Coach one. "A toast." Coach lifted his bottle to join Benedict's in the air.

"To friendship," Coach said.

"And to good business," Benedict added, clinking the bottles together with a wink.

The two drank until late in the evening. By the end the two were so drunk, Benedict was making jokes about his disability and continued to refer to himself as legless to Coach who had passed out long before.

* * *

A few days later, after Coach's hangover had gone, everyone got together with Drake and drove the two miles through the woods toward Jackson's hideout. Everyone agreed to the plan to work for the car almost immediately, although Coach left out the part where Benedict offered it to them for nothing as he thought that either Nick or Rochelle would jump at that opportunity. Norah, as leader, sat up the front while Drake drove. He was initially unhappy about having these people follow him as if he were some infant but finally agreed after Ellis put his arm around him and practically begged. Drake blushed as Ellis put his arm around his shoulders, appreciating the contact.

"You know that Benny would give you a toy for free," Drake told them. "You didn't really need to come along and babysit me." He looked at Ellis lustfully through the rear-view mirror. "Not that I don't appreciate the company." They all talked for a little while longer as they approached the perimeter of Jackson's compound. It was hardly really far away but the winding and hazardous road meant that only slow speeds would be safe. Unfortunately, driving safe meant that it was easy for Jackson's men to see them coming. Two of them were hiding behind some trees on each side of the road, each holding shotguns. When Drake drove past them, they jumped out and fired at the wheels of the car. The blast completely destroyed the front to wheels and the car came to a sudden halt. The two men held their weapons up at everyone in the car and urged for them to get out. "Now I don't appreciate their company," Drake commented.

They were led around the corner to find a small clearing where Jackson was stood with his men in front of a large bus. 'The Midnight Riders' name and logo along with a caricature of the band members was painted on the side of it.

"Hey, Coach, it's that band that no one but you and Ellis like!" Rochelle teased.

"Shove it," Coach replied light-heartedly.

"Yes you should shove it," Jackson stepped up toward them. "Or I'll shove you full of bullets." His eyes glanced Rochelle up and down. "Or something else of mine..."

"I'll take the bullets, thanks."

"You don't know what I've got to offer."

"Not a lot I'm willing to bet."

"Not that this isn't illuminating conversation," Drake interrupted the two, "but we're here on business."

"And what is that?"

"Benedict sent us to deliver some gasoline to you along with that car as a peace offering... we're not repairing the damage your brutes did to it."

"Who are you calling a brute?" one of the nameless guards spoke up. Drake looked him up and down, grinned cockily and then looked back to Jackson.

"You want it or not?"

"What's the catch?" Jackson queried, shooting shared looks of suspicion to his men.

"You leave us all alone; a bargain for enough gas to fill that bus a few times over." Jackson narrowed his eyes on the young boy. He then glanced to Rochelle.

"I want something else."

"You can't have me!" Drake cried.

"Not you, faggot! I want her!"

"Not me you oaf!" Rochelle retorted.

"Take what you've been offered or we'll take it back," Norah added, trying to sound authoritative. Jackson grinned at her.

"You can join us, too." Coach suddenly became aware that there were no women in Jackson's miniscule group. Norah became quiet after realising the same thing.

"We're leaving," Coach announced with a tone of finality. Norah and Rochelle turned their backs to head out while Drake, Ellis and Nick lingered for a moment before turning to walk. Jackson's men surrounded them. Coach looked back at him. "Easy now."

"I'm being very reasonable."

"You're referring to me and Norah as bargaining chips!"

"We're not leaving without them."

"Then you're going to have a problem because they ain't going."

"Jackson," Rochelle stepped forward with her hands in the air slightly to show that she was unarmed. "Be reasonable. Why don't we step into your bus and talk about this? Alone."

The look that crossed over Jackson's face was comparable to one a fat child got when they got their meal at a fast food restaurant. The implications of what Rochelle had said already got his juices flowing, so to speak. He licked his lips and immediately nodded. He turned to the bus and placed his hand on Rochelle's shoulder as the two walked toward the door. Rochelle glanced back at Coach and gave him a supportive wink. Coach smiled and nodded at her.

"We're not going to stay here long," he told the others discreetly. "Get ready."

It was not long after the door to the bus shut when the windshield was suddenly shattered. All of Jackson's men looked over to see their leader get thrown out and land on the ground heavily. The engine of the bus suddenly came to life as Rochelle put it into gear and drove around the man she had just thrown out. Meanwhile, the others took Jackson's guards by sudden surprise by disarming them of their weapons. Coach, Norah, Ellis and Nick each took one guard of their own. Drake was surrounded by the remaining two members of Jackson's group. Coach glanced over and went to help him but stopped halfway. With the flexibility of a ballet dancer, Drake kicked one of the men who was stood behind him and then spun, grabbing his weapon and beating the remaining guard over the face with it. He fell to the ground but as he tried to get up, Drake stomped his foot on his chest to keep him down. He held his gun at him.

"Now how come no one wanted to give me a good filling?"

Rochelle beeped the horn of the bus to get everyone's attention. They each ran over to it as it was still in motion and jumped onto it. Rochelle put her foot down to get out of the clearing but suddenly the bus grinded to a halt. She had stalled it. As she fumbled about in the driver's seat, Jackson scrambled around his camp and retrieved something from a box.

"Ro, we gotta go!" Coach cried.

"Thanks, love," Rochelle acknowledged him exasperatedly.

"It looks like they're getting ready to... holy fuck is that a bazooka?" Everyone looked around the back and saw Jackson aim the bazooka that he retrieved from the box at them. "Where did he get that?"

"Ellis!" Coach ordered, "take over!" Ellis ran around everyone and nudged Rochelle out of the driver's seat saying "excuse me" as he did so. He restarted the engine and put the bus into gear to drive away.

"Ain't no one getting my shit," Jackson muttered as he fired the bazooka at them. Coach could see the round launch toward the back of the bus and knew that it would hit them.

"Get down!" he shouted, firing a few rounds at the back window, causing it to shatter. The round went through where the glass was, shot through the inside of the bus and exited out through the windshield, impacting a large tree causing a loud explosion. Ellis drove straight for the flames and passed the tree just as it fell into the road, blocking the path. The Midnight Riders bus went away and there was no way Jackson or his men could follow them. Before he could think of anything to do, Jackson heard the cry of the horde. They had been summoned by the loud bang in the woods. Within moments they would be there. He closed his eyes as the footsteps reached him and his men and resigned himself to his fate. They were all dead within moments.

Ellis stopped the bus as they passed their totalled car so that the gasoline could be promptly loaded before driving off once more. They arrived back at Benedict's community to looks of confusion. As everyone got off, Pam was there to greet them while Waylon went to fetch Benedict.

"They're not going to be bothering us anymore," Drake answered Pam's questioning look.

"Sweet Jesus!" Pam cried. "We heard the bang. Was that you?"

"It was them," Coach told her. "Those poor sons of bitches were too stupid to live; they brought it on themselves." Pam looked the tour bus up and down in awe.

"Quite a little keepsake you brought back."

"I'll say!" Benedict remarked as Waylon pushed his wheelchair over to them. "I take it that Jackson was hardly... cooperative."

"If it weren't for Ellis..." Drake remarked, looking up at him with starry eyes.

"Yes," Benedict smirked. "Well this why I wanted people to go with you to begin with. I don't want people getting hurt." He glanced at the tour bus. "Mighty fine vehicle you got there, Norah. Your people should do good in it."

"Excuse me?"

"Well you wanted a vehicle as reward. I figure that this thing will do nicely for you. You still have the gasoline?" Drake nodded. "Good; you can have that too."

"Er," Norah was speechless as were the others.

"You know what the problem with you guys is?" Benedict's question was rhetoric. "You ain't got no home. People need a home; something to feel safe in, something to protect... something to come back to. No one can be happy if they don't have a home. You guys don't want to make a home in one place; well now the home can come with you."

It was with that that the Midnight Riders were born. Long gone were Ox, Smitty, Jake and Dusty. Coach, Ellis, Nick, Rochelle and Norah would now take their place. After some discussion, Drake expressed a keen interest to join them also. Benedict agreed to let him go after Drake convinced him that he did not want to go with them because Ellis was there. He too was unaccustomed to living in one place for very long as it was the way he had lived as he was growing up. Benedict felt like a loving parent as they watched their child leave for college as Drake left the community. He felt so proud that he was so brave and yet felt very sad that he was leaving and worried that he might not be alright.

Just before they left, Norah caught Coach as he was on his own while repairing the broken windows on the bus. They smiled at each other but stood in silence as Coach fitted the replacement glass. When he was done he took off his gloves and went down the step ladder.

"What's on your mind?"

"You are," was her response. Coach looked suddenly worried.

"I don't think we'd be good together."

"Not like that you freak!" Norah slapped him on the arm. "No; I was thinking about what happened back at Jackson's camp. In fact I've been thinking about everything that's been happening these past few weeks and..." She paused. Coach gestured to her to continue. Norah sighed. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that everyone has leant toward me when looking for direction but I think that you would be a much more sensible choice as a leader." Coach let out a laugh.

"If I may," he said, "what were we like before? You were the Secretary of Homeland Security. I taught football."

"Everyone looks up to you, Coach," Norah told him. "And I don't think that I... I failed this country. I don't think I can handle the whole leader thing anytime soon."

"Well neither do I," Coach protested but was silenced by Norah placing her hands on his shoulders. She had to stand on the tips of her toes to reach him.

"Coach," she said softly, her voice tender and sweet. She brushed her hand over his cheek covered in stubble. "You're the one who everyone looks up to. You're the one who takes charge when everyone else steps back. You're the one who needs to do this because... it's always been you, Coach. You're the one who holds us together, who brings us in when we're apart. We all belong together, Coach. You belong at the top."

The tenderness and sincerity of her words touched him deeply. Coach looked at the woman who stood on the tips of her toes to reach him and began to feel something. It was not desire, even though she was very attractive. It was not sympathy for her not being able to lead them or resentment for her passing the buck over to him. It was respect. He looked down at former secretary of homeland security Norah Hanham with the kind of respect that one could feel in their chest. She was right, of course, in everything that she had said and she knew it. She was not looking to go on a power trip; she wanted to do what was best for everyone else. She wanted to step down as the Midnight Riders' leader not because she couldn't do it but because she saw someone who would do it far better than she could. Coach was inspirational, respected and people were easily loyal to him. The self-confidence Norah had back in the world before had been destroyed by the Director of CEDA. Her vendetta against him was motivated by anger, which had now subsided leaving nothing in its wake. Norah was slowly becoming confident again thanks to Coach. He was needed. Coach took Norah's hand from his face and held it warmly in between them. He took her other hand and merely closed his eyes and nodded. She smiled at him.

"If I belong at the top," he said to her, "you belong at my right hand."

The Midnight Riders were born.

After a year of leading his people all over America, Coach had suddenly found himself back where he had started in a manner of speaking. He was sat opposite Benedict Bevan who had managed to take over the compound of former power player Oliver Rooney. His Clan had taken over Rooney's base after his people had been wiped out in an infected attack. Coach was worried that his Clan would soon be wiped out if he did not do the bidding for Thomas Galt and convince Benedict to hand the area over to him. If Coach were to tell Benedict of what was going on, the people that Galt had hostage would surely be killed. Even though Galt's lapdog Fraser was somewhere else at the moment, probably being distracted by Ellis, Coach felt sick at the thought of being responsible for the deaths of his people. He chose his words with care.

* * *

Back in Idaho, the Capitol building was under siege. The infected had somehow got in and were destroying everything. Thomas Galt ordered his men to stem the monsters but they were having a tough time. A Tank broke outside through the main entrance allowing more infected to follow. Inside the holding cells at the lowest level the sounds of battle could scarcely be heard. But heard they were. Inside Drake's cell, he looked up as he heard the faintest sounds of conflict.

"Do you hear anything?" Drake looked at the small gap in the wall that separated his isolation cell from Teek's. The sensory deprivation chambers blocked out all light but Drake could still make out Teek's blue eyes. In the darkness they were quite beautiful.

"Can't you hear that?" Drake responded.

"All I can hear is you," said Teek, breathing heavily. "I don't like this."

"What do you mean?"

"First we hear all that commotion outside and now there's a war going on up there. What if the zombies are here?"

"They'll get rid of Thomas Galt's guys for us."

"Then what? We'll be stuck in here. We'll be trapped with no way out. We'll die! We'll die trapped like fucking rats and... fuck!" Teek began breathing heavily. He was close to hyperventilating before he felt Drake's warm, gentle hand reach through the small hold in the wall and rest on his shoulder. He began to relax almost immediately. "I'm sorry," Teek tried to keep the sound of tears out of his voice. "Just being in here reminds me of being in that car Tillman stuffed me in when he took it to the crusher." Drake said nothing. He only squeezed Teek's shoulder. Teek lifted his hand to his shoulder and took Drake's. He realised his hand was wet from wiping away his tears but Drake did not seem to mind. He ran his thumb over Teek's tears until they were gone. The two then said nothing for a very long time.

Rochelle was regretting what she had done as she sat in her own cell. She heard what was going on up above and yet she did nothing; she lay there all battered and bruised. She was certain no bones were broken but she was bleeding from the nose extensively. She was sure that she had bruises all over her face and body. When the doors opened her liberator would not walk in on a pretty sight. Rochelle heard the violence and knew what she had done was wrong. She had deliberately touched the skin of her abductors, thereby transferring the infection onto them. If none of them were ever rescued it would be her fault. If a Tank burst down the doors and tore them all to pieces it would be her fault. If Nick died it would be her fault.

She thought about Nick. She was unsure of her feelings toward him in the past but now that she could not touch him, holding his hand or kissing his lips seemed to be the only thing that she wanted to do. She spat out a mouthful of blood as she lay on the floor of her cell and chuckled at the irony. She wished that she had been beaten to death so she would not have to live with this feeling in her chest anymore. She could be murdered a thousand times over by Galt, his men or the infected and it would still not hurt as much as the fact that she and Nick could never be together.

Norah was sat in the corner of her cell thinking of Danielle. She did not know how she would cope without her best friend. She knew that Coach was still there and that he would do what he could to help them, a fact that gave her great comfort. She did not feel worried or nervous; she almost knew with undeniable certainty that they would all be rescued. What made her feel down was the fact that Danielle would never be rescued. She had died because of Nick and to a lesser extent, Rochelle. She knew that she would probably never get over the death of her best friend. She was the one who she trusted the most, even more than Coach. She was the one who Norah shared all of her secrets to. She was the one Norah spoke to about her hidden romantic feelings for their leader. She would never have that closeness with anyone again and she felt so empty without it. Most of all she felt angry. Despite everything that everyone had said; she still felt nothing but pure hatred toward Nick. She understood that it was not his fault but she still blamed him for Danielle's death. Finally Norah started to feel grateful as she sat in the cell. She was grateful that Nick had left.

If he hadn't she'd have already killed him.

* * *

Nick sat in the front passenger's seat of the Midnight Riders tour bus directing Malcolm toward Galt's HQ. They were getting close. In the back the others were planning their strategies for the rescue plan. Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey were sat around the table with Miguel and Madison while Cassandra watched from a distance. The bus came to a sudden halt at the top of a hill when Malcolm urged everyone to come and have a look at what he was seeing. Up ahead the Idaho State Capitol building could be seen. It was the backdrop of an intense battle.

"Holy Christmas," Malcolm commented as he saw the sight. Nick shot him a sarcastic glare.

"What the hell is going on down there?" Miguel asked as he and Madison headed the line of people that moved to the front of the bus. He rested his hand on the back of Nick's chair.

"I think hell is going on down there," Cassandra said in a breath. Madison leant forward, placing her hand over Miguel's as got a better look. Miguel looked down at her hand and then up at her face. Madison shifted her gazed over to him and for a moment questioned why he was looking at her. She then realised where she had placed her hand and tore it away suddenly, clearing her throat in an attempt to sound cavalier.

"We, uh, need to rethink our plan. We can't spread ourselves out now that the zombies have entered the equation."

"Yes," Miguel agreed, clearing his own throat. "If we spread ourselves out we'd be overwhelmed." Bill shook his head and rolled his eyes. Miguel and Madison were as subtle as the battle being raged down below. They were acting like high school teenagers. He expected this behaviour from Louis and Zoey, even though they never particularly acted that way but to see it happen between supposed professionals made him slightly irritable. "I think we should split ourselves into two teams instead of three."

"Whatever," Bill remarked. Miguel, too found Bill irritable.

"Malcolm, Nick and Cassandra; you should stay on the bus. Malcolm will drive around and you all can engage the infected from inside; get the fire off the rest of us while we go inside and break the others out. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good," Zoey grinned, cocking her gun. A loud explosion was heard in the distance followed by silence.

"No time like the present!" Bill cried and everyone moved into position.

Malcolm drove the Midnight Riders tour bus down toward the Capitol Building. There were stray infected in his way that he mercilessly ran over. No doubt the front bumper would need a great deal of cleaning after this engagement, he thought. Coming up to the Capitol Building, Malcolm slowed down. Bill was the first to jump out after getting to the door first and not moving despite Miguel's orders. Miguel left second and did a safe roll as he leapt from the moving vehicle whereas Bill simply skidded gracefully to a halt, lighting a cigarette as he did so. Madison, Louis, Francis and Zoey soon joined them and the six began running toward the Capitol Building.

Cover fire came from Cassandra and Nick as the six made their way up the stairs. They could see people up there shooting at the infected. They appeared to be getting close to being overwhelmed. One of the men noticed the six approaching and then began firing in their direction even though there were no infected nearby. They split up and took cover behind some decorative statues that ran up each side of the stairs.

"Not very friendly are they?" Zoey muttered before raising her voice. "What do we need; an invitation?"

"I got it right here," said Francis as he pulled the pin from a fragmentation grenade. He threw it far and it landed close to one of the men who had been overpowered by the infected. A Spitter was about to cover him in her acidic goo when the grenade exploded, sending acidic sludge everywhere. The man was knocked off his feet and fell down the stairs, landing near the raiding party.

"Move out," Miguel ordered and everyone ran past the weary guard and up the stairs. The Spitter's acid had cut through several of the nearby infected, giving them a small window of opportunity. The six got to the front doors and as they shot the infected nearby they made their way inside. The main hall was a mess. A Tank was in the centre of the lobby, crushing people to death with its fists.

"We got this," Francis, Louis and Zoey remarked. Zoey shot Bill a cheeky wink as she joined the two in tackling the Tank. Miguel ushered Madison and Bill to move on. While they made the way to the basement, the only logical place where any prisoners would be kept, bullets began to pummel the Tank. Even with three against one the Tank still had the advantage in this battle. It had taken apart all nearby security without showing any signs of letting up. Zoey counted ten bodies around the immediate area; ten people who had come against the Tank and had still lost. It would take some creative thinking to beat it.

Francis and Louis ran around the Tank on opposite sides, all the while shooting at it. Zoey ran straight for the beast and it saw her coming. As she got within spitting distance she fell back and slid along the ground under it, aiming her shotgun up and firing at its nether region twice before she kicked herself back to her feet and ran after the others. The Tank, clearly hurt, pulled a large chunk of concrete from the floor and hurled it toward Zoey but she dived out of the way as she went left up the grand staircase. Francis had gone right. Louis helped her up and the two ran up the stairs as fast as they could. The Tank joined them on the steps.

The staircase began exploding as Francis threw numerous grenades at the Tank, his weapons causing considerable damage to the structure. He pulled the pin of one grenade and was about the throw it when he felt a Smoker's tongue wrap around him as his arm was extended. He was pulled away with one free arm. Using that arm, he cooked the grenade in his hand by waiting for a moment to throw it and then lobbed it when there were less than two seconds until it exploded. The Smoker died in the blast and Francis was able to free himself.

Louis and Zoey made it to the top of the stairs with the Tank hot on their heels. They saw Francis on the ground in a room in the distance and decided to pincer the beast following them. As Francis climbed to his feet the other two ran down a different corridor, shooting infected as they went along. Francis was now behind the Tank and started firing well placed shots at it. Still the Tank would not go down. Louis and Zoey each prepared their shotguns as up ahead there was a dead end. They needed to kill the Tank now or it would be all over for them. Near the wall the two spun around and unleashed a flurry of shotgun bullets at the Tank as Francis threw his final grenade at it. The bomb landed right at its feet and exploded with a force that knocked the other two against the wall. The Tank was flung into a wall, crashing through into the next room. Francis walked over to see if the other two were alright. They were rubbing their heads but otherwise seemed fine. Looking through the hole in the wall, Francis let out a long whistle.

"He ain't getting up," he remarked. From the other wall behind him burst through a Charger that dragged Francis to where the corpse of the Tank was.

"Ah shit," Zoey sighed.

The other three arrive in the holding cells with remarkable ease, thought Miguel. Four of the cells had labels on them so he decided that they were the ones that were occupied. Miguel and Madison opened the first door to find a young of no older than nineteen. He wore skinny jeans and had vibrant red hair in the style so many of the "emo" kids back in England so Miguel thought. Madison opened the next door to find another boy, perhaps younger than the redhead who looked incredibly afraid. Bill opened the door next to that and saw a familiar face. He saw Norah Hanham.

Norah and Bill had encountered each other only once; one year ago on the cruise ship that was ferrying survivors over to Europe. They shared a few words as they discussed the Director problem. From the way she handled things and how she conducted herself Bill knew that he liked her. She gazed wearily at him, the light from outside was blinding her. Bill stepped forward to obscure the haze so that her eyes could adjust. He held out his hand. Norah could still not see a whole lot but from Bill's dark silhouette she did make out something. The lit end of a cigarette.

"It can't be," she gasped.

"Yes ma'am," Bill said with enthusiasm that seemed so out of character Miguel had to look over and make sure that he was still the same man. "We've come all the way over to this shit heap to pull your sorry asses out now get on your feet!"

Tears formed in Norah's eyes as she got to her feet. They fell as she ran forward and embraced him.

"Oh good God! I knew someone would come!" Miguel stepped forward and introduced Madison and himself.

"Is that all of you?"

"No there's a few more," Norah made her way over to Rochelle's cell and muttered irritably as she saw the racist sign written on her door. She unlocked it and gasped as she saw Rochelle lying there all beaten and bloody.

"Fuck me," Drake's jaw dropped. He went to go help her.

"Get back!" Rochelle spat. "Don't come any closer."

"Ro, it's us!" Drake told her.

"I know exactly who you are! Get the hell away from me!" Drake lifted his hands and stepped out of her cell cautiously. Madison glanced to Miguel.

"What's her deal?"

Rochelle was lying on the ground breathing heavily. This was bad; if anyone touched her then she would pass on the infection to them. She tried getting to her feet on her own but could not; she simply did not have the strength.

"Guys," Norah said to Drake and Teek, "check the other cells and make sure no one else is locked up." They did as they were told and the two opened the remaining locked cell doors, finding no one in each one.

"Where's Coach?"

"And Ellis?"

"Say again?" Miguel scanned the area.

"We have a few additions to our little group," Norah informed him. Miguel shot her an urgent look.

"We came by submarine; we don't have enough room to accommodate a lot of people."

"There are only seven of us; two more than you were expecting." She gestured to Drake and Teek. "Hell these two will share a bed."

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Drake interrupted them. He and Teek were not aware of the fact that rescue was coming. Coach and Norah decided it was best not to tell them. Danielle did not even know, not that that mattered now. "Submarines? Accommodation? Beds?" Miguel looked back to Norah.

"Madam Secretary..." he started but Bill interrupted him.

"You're letting Zoey's mom come along."

"They're coming and that's the end of it!" Norah announced. "Besides we have more pressing concerns; we need to get Rochelle out of here and find Coach and Ellis."

"And Nick," Drake added.

"Nick?" Madison spoke up. "The guy in that cheap suit? Walks with a limp? Yeah we found him not too long ago; he led us here."

"Good boy, Nicky," Drake grinned. Norah's eyes narrowed.

"So we've got two people AWOL?" Bill summarised. "Damn it... okay we're going to have to find out where they went. This Thomas Galt guy; he brought you here?" Drake and Teek nodded in confirmation. "So we find him. Let's pray that he's not dead yet."

* * *

Malcolm was driving the Midnight Rider's tour bus remarkably slowly so Cassandra could shoot better as she was a remarkably bad shot. The man who Thomas Galt's right hand, Frazer, had sent to keep an eye on the tour bus was following them in his own car. He knew that is he got close enough he could jump over to it. Most of the occupants had left and he had a very good chance of catching those that remained off guard. If he did this he could wait for the others to return and get rid of them in one swift motion.

Cassandra started to reload her assault rifle when she heard a crash. Looking around she saw Ralph climb through the back window by the table and land on top of it.

"Nick," Cassandra called out, "a man has come in your backdoor." Ralph swiftly made his way over to her and kicked her in the face, pulling her up and holding a gun to her head just before Nick had a chance to shoot him. Ralph smiled menacingly at them as he held onto Cassandra.

* * *

Thomas Galt was sat in his office behind his table with two guns near him. One was a shotgun and the other was a small self defence pistol. There was plentiful of shotgun ammunition nearby but only one round in the pistol. He would only need to use it once. Galt was prepared for a fight; he had not come this far without getting his hands dirty. He did not, however, want to go down on the infected's terms. He would end things when he wanted it. Taking a soothing breath, Galt closed his eyes as he head the bangs on the door. It wouldn't be long until they broke in. The muffled gunfire on the other side of the door seemed to be unending. After several particularly loud shots the banging on the door stopped. He glanced over in time to see the lock get blown away by weapons fire. The doors opened and two women and two men were stood there. Madison, Zoey, Louis and Francis took one step inside and saw him cowering behind the desk.

"Ding-dong," said Francis sarcastically. Galt leapt to his feet but Madison used a well placed shot of her pistol to disarm him. The bullet hit his gun and he was uninjured. The shotgun went across the room. Galt reached for his suicide pistol.

"Oh no," Louis yelled, "you ain't shutting the door in _my_ face!" Galt hesitated pulling the trigger giving Louis the chance to run over and disarm him. Twisting Galt's arm behind his back he forced his head onto the desk. He twisted the arm, making him grunt in pain. Galt could not believe he was in this position, having a man stood directly behind him as he was bent over. Francis chuckled as he saw the sight.

"I wish I had a picture," he said to Zoey.

"Right then!" Madison said louder than she needed to. She wanted to intimidate him. Her tone was more sarcastic than aggressive. "Mr Galt! I'm going to need some information out of you."

"Suck it, cunt!" Madison pushed Louis aside and flipped Galt onto his back. With no hesitation she rammed her knee into his crotch. Galt let out a cry of absolute agony as he fell to the ground.

"Can she do that?" Francis muttered to Zoey.

"You want to question her?"

"We'll try this again," Madison cracked her knuckles. "Two guys. One by the name of Coach, the other by Ellis. Where are they? Don't use foul language again. For every time you are rude to me, my knee will explore other areas of your body."

"They're not here," Galt told her.

"I'm shocked and amazed. Where are they?"

"Far away."

"This is tedious." Madison placed Galt's hand flat on the desk with the palm facing up. She then took out her combat knife, looked at him in the eye and without even taking aim, swung her knife down at his hand. Zoey recoiled and looked away. The sound of the knife impacting its target was loud. Galt looked over and saw that the blade had hit just in between his fingers and had not done him any damage. "Oh, I missed..." Madison lifted the blade up again. "Let's try again."

"They're in New Bern!" Galt spat. Madison grinned.

"Where in New Bern?"

"With Benedict Bevan's Clan; they moved in after Oliver Rooney vanished."

"I see... would you kindly tell me where that is exactly?" Madison twisted the blade in the air as Galt told her the exact specifics. When he finished she smiled and got off him. "Let's go."

"There's no rush," Galt said as he fell into his chair. Madison looked back at him, her gaze demanding further explanation. "That Bevan is a sort of competitor of mine. I sent one of my boys with him to help level the playing field."

"What did you do?" Zoey asked.

"My man Frazer is going to make sure things... go up in Bevan's face." He grinned. Madison looked to the others and back at him.

"Details you pig."

"He took six devices with him. One large enough to put a huge hold in the side of any building. He's going to place them strategically around the compound. When they detonate there will be nothing left of Benedict Bevan or his Clan."

"Of of Coach and Ellis," Francis muttered. With an evil glare Madison turned and started running back to the prison. She glanced back at Galt and looked him up and down, focusing her stare on his groin that still hurt.

"Let's see how much cunt you get now," she remarked as she turned and went after the others. Galt watched her leave and spat on the ground.

* * *

Frazer had already planted three of the five smaller explosives around the complex, a task that was ridiculously easy thanks to the guided tour that Pam was giving. His eyes focused on Pam's breasts as she spoke but she did not notice. Ellis did, however. He hated the way Frazer continually perverted over the woman. He wanted to do something to stop it but knew that if he tried anything it could have dire consequences back in Idaho. He bit his tongue and tried to focus his gaze elsewhere. His eyes fell on the bulky bag that he was carrying around with him.

* * *

"We have a problem," Madison arrived back in the dungeons where Miguel, Bill and Madison were still stood outside of Rochelle's cell. She summarised what Galt had told her. "We need to leave for New Bern now."

"We may already be too late," Drake told her.

"There's no way we'd be able to reach them fast enough in that massive bus of yours," Bill noted.

"Galt's got a load of cars in the garage out back," Teek spoke up suddenly. "Some of them are pretty quick, I think there are even a few motorcycles."

"What are you getting at?" Miguel asked.

"I can ride over to New Bern from here quicker than any of you can get there. I am a messenger after all; I know the shortcuts. It's how I made my living before you guys showed up. I can get there in a day."

"A day?" Norah was unconvinced. "That's a two day trip at least."

"I can do it," Teek insisted. "Besides we have no other options. If I'm lucky they've not had that much of a head start on me. There may be a chance I could even beat them there." Norah thought for a moment and then nodded. Miguel felt aggravated that people were ignoring his authority but let it slide. "You guys can meet us there when you can."

"I'm going with you," Drake stood in front of him, stopping him from leaving. Teek merely shook his head.

"You'll slow me down," he said sweetly. Teek took Drake's hands. "I'll be fine, I promise." With Teek's smile, Drake knew that he would be alright. Nevertheless he was still overcome with emotion. He stepped close to Teek and put their lips together. The act was so sudden it caught Teek of guard. His first reaction was to step away but that lasted for a smallest of moments before he felt a warmth grow deep inside. He smiled as he kissed him and the two stood there for a moment more before they parted again. Louis leant over to Zoey.

"Reminds you of us, doesn't it?" Zoey frowned at him.

"I never had a dick."

Drake and Teek exchanged one last glance before Drake smiled and tilted his head to the doorway.

"Now fuck off." Teek ran up the stairs and through the still dangerous hallways to the parking garage. He saw immediately the bike that he wanted and hopped over a dead guard to get it. Climbing onto the cherry red Ducati Desmosedici RR, Teek contemplated what had just happened with Drake. Smiling as he turned on the engine of the bike, he realised that this might have been one of the best days ever. Without bothering to find the helmet, Teek roared out of the garage and left the others behind.

"Rochelle we seriously need to go right now!" Norah was becoming impatient. Rochelle was trying to stand up on her own but simply could not. She kept falling down each time she tried to move. Norah cussed silently and looked to Francis and Miguel. "You two are the strongest looking men; get her up." Miguel was irritated further by Norah's orders but decided to assert his authority at a more appropriate time. He and Francis moved over to lift Rochelle but she began screaming at them.

"Don't touch me!"

"You'll be fine," Francis assured her. "I'm gentle."

"Don't fucking touch me!" The two got really close to her. "If you touch me you'll get infected!"

The two stopped dead and exchanged looks.

"What?"

Rochelle sighed and leant her head back.

"Those people that kidnapped me they... they did something to me. They wanted to find a cure for the virus so they injected me with an experimental toxin or something. It makes me highly contagious. If anyone touches me then they will become infected." She paused for a moment while everyone digested the information. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. But please believe me; I have a virus incubating within me. I am safe but no one else is."

"I can help you up," Louis told her. "I've had all sorts of crazy things pumped into my blood, too. I'm immune from any form of the virus." He held out his hand.

"Even so you could carry it and pass it to someone else." Louis thought for a moment and took his hand away.

"I have an idea," Drake went away, taking Bill with him. They returned with a stretcher from the medical area and placed it next to Rochelle. "You just need to rest, Ro. Get on here and we'll do the rest." Rochelle managed to get herself onto the stretcher while Drake handed Miguel and Francis extra thick gloves that he had also requisitioned from the medical area. When she was ready everyone made their way outside. The number of infected was dwindling but they still had to keep on their toes. The tour bus was parked at the bottom of the stairs. Miguel and Francis walked down the stairs sideways to make sure Rochelle did not slide. Bill glanced back at the Capitol Building and saw the complete and utter state of disarray that it was in. He lit another cigarette and chuckled.

"Never liked Boise anyway..."

Everyone made their way to the bus and stepped inside. They saw no one by the driver's seat.

"Hello?" Madison called out. She looked to the back and gasped as she saw Cassandra in the arms of a man who had a gun to her head. Nick and Malcolm were lying on the back table apparently unconscious. Their hands were tied together.

"So nice of you to join us," Ralph smirked.


	12. The Last Supper

_**Author note: I want to apologise for not updating as frequently as I had planned. Unfortunately university (or college as I believe it's called in America) is taking up a hell of a lot of my time. So much so that I'm condensing all of my ideas for this fic idea into the next three chapters with the finale being chapter twelve. I don't want to leave this unfinished and I don't want to leave too much time in between updates so I'm aiming to have everything closed by the new year. It will still be good though! I'm not going to rush or update with things that are lack luster. This will be my last Left 4 Dead fic (unless there is a 3rd game) so I want to go out on a high. **_

**_As always; thanks for reading! Andy_**

_**The Midnight Riders**_

Chapter Ten – The Last Supper

"Mom!" Zoey exclaimed as she saw Cassandra being held with a gun to her head. Ralph had his finger on the trigger and judging by the serious expression on his face he had no problems pulling it. Zoey turned to everyone with an expectant look. "Well?" she shouted, dropping her gun to the floor. Everyone else reluctantly followed suit with only Bill and Madison keeping a hold of their guns by lowering them.

"You're a bit outnumbered, buddy," Miguel said, attempting to rattle Ralph's confidence.

"Yeah but I got her mommy," he gestured to Zoey. "So none of you are gonna do anything stupid." Bill gripped his pistol tightly and moved the recently lit cigarette around in his lips. He was not smoking it; he was thinking of a plan. Glancing up he saw a smoke alarm on the ceiling of the bus. He took a puff of his cigarette and discreetly blew the smoke upward.

"Here's what we're gonna do," Ralph told them, taking a firm step forward, pulling Cassandra with him. "You all are gonna step outside and give yourselves up to Galt. That way everyone wins."

"If we do that then he'll kill us," Drake said.

"You don't know that," Ralph told him in a patronising manner. "The way I see it; the only way that any of you have a chance of getting out of here with no casualties is if you do as I say."

"Not true," Bill muttered quietly but loud enough for everyone to hear. The group of people suddenly parted to look at him, giving Ralph and Bill and unobstructed view of each other.

"What's that, old man?"

"I'm just saying that there's always more than one way."

He blew more smoke up toward the ceiling and the alarm suddenly sprung to life, starling everyone on the bus. Ralph jumped slightly, lowering his gun. Bill took the chance and lifted his up and pulled the trigger, hitting Ralph in the head. His body fell away from Cassandra who let out a scream.

It took a few moments before everyone realised what had happened. Zoey ran to her mother and embraced her.

"We gotta get out of here," Bill announced, gesturing to Drake. "Your boyfriend may reach the others before we even get close but he could still use backup." He looked to Miguel. "If that sounds good to you, I mean."

"Francis; get us out of here," Miguel ordered. "Madison, Norah; untie Nick and Malcolm and see if you can wake them up. Drake; make sure Rochelle is comfortable. Bill; help me get this body out of here." Everyone followed Miguel's orders as soon as he issued them. As he and Bill lifted up Ralph he glanced up at him. "That was some quick thinking, by the way."

"It's just another example of how smoking saves lives, kiddo."

"Well it didn't help him," Miguel pointed out as they threw Ralph out of the bus as Ellis began to drive off. It landed next to a heap of dead infected.

"I do hate littering," Bill remarked, tossing his cigarette butt onto the body as they drove away.

* * *

As the tour bus drove off into the distance, Thomas Galt watched it from one of the building's windows. He was stood at the same window where not so long ago he had seen two infected fighting each other while thinking at how pathetic their existence must be. Now the glass in the window had been shattered. The building that he had once ruled was in ruins. The people who had served under him were dead.

He shuffled as he walked through the remains of his empire without purpose or conviction. From a distance he looked no different from any of the other infected. In truth he was not far off from becoming one of them.

"Those damned Midnight Riders…" Galt spoke in a low voice brim with emotion. He fell to his knees when he reached the main lobby, putting his palms on the ground. He formed a fist and began banging on the floor. "Those damn fucking bastards!" He picked up pieces of rubble and began smashing them on the ground. "You fucking cunts!" He stood up and began screaming, destroying everything that he saw. He approached corpses and smashed his feet into their heads. He arrived at fragile looking furniture like bookcases and fine tables and tipped them over. He stepped outside and let out a loud roar that echoed into the distance. He fell to his knees again and slammed his forehead into the ground before lifting it back up.

"You have no idea what it takes, what it takes to be a man like me. I was nothing! I had nothing! I made all of this from nothing and you took it all away from me! I. Was. A. God! None of you can imagine what that feels like; to be everything to somebody and then to have it all ripped from you." He pulled out his emergency radio and contacted Fraser. "There's a change of plans. I don't want New Bern anymore." He paused, breathing heavily as he contemplated the meaning of his words.

"I. Want. Blood."

Galt got to his feet and began screaming at the top of his lungs.

"I fucking want blood!" He roared and threw the radio to the ground, smashing it into pieces. He made his way down the steps and fired at some stray infected as he walked past them. He shot each straggler in the head nonchalantly, a murderous look on his face. He walked by Ralph's corpse. "Come on!" He began firing into the air, attracting infected from all around the city to the sound of his weapon.

Galt went down the street and turned the corner, walking into a community park. The grass was overgrown and corpses were everywhere. Galt looked around and saw that infected were shuffling toward him at a slow pace. He was surrounded. They were moving as if they knew he had no way out. Climbing up onto a statue of Alfred Mullet, Galt looked around at the infected slowly circling him. He reloaded his pistol and grinned. His face looked like that of a man possessed.

"Come and get it you cunts…"

* * *

Fraser received Galt's radio message while he was still driving with Coach and Ellis to New Bern. The journey was a long one of just over a day so he had plenty of time to plan how he would carry out his orders. Soon after arriving, Fraser began planting the explosives around the complex after managing to sneak them in using a large ammo bag; the same kind that Ellis and Coach used. No one would check the bags of one of Benedict Bevan's best friends so it was a breeze to plant the devices. Fraser had just planted the last remaining device and armed them. All he had to do now was step outside and push the detonator and then the entire complex would go up in an explosion that would attract infected from hundreds of miles away. He licked his lips in anticipation and went to leave.

* * *

As Teek rode faster than he had ever done before he was wishing he had worn a helmet. He was not afraid of crashing; even if he did at these speeds he would need a lot more than a helmet to save him from a horrible death. His face was freezing and the breeze was making his eyes squint and water. It was no use; he had to find something to shield his face. He pulled off into an empty gas station, switching off the motorcycle's engine and filling the tank. He was surprised that he still found working pumps as he was sure that after a year all of the gas stations would have run dry by now. When he filled the motorcycle's gas tank he ran into the shop and looked around to see if he could see anything resembling a helmet. There were none.

Cursing, Teek went back out to the bike and rode away. As the gas station disappeared behind him he suddenly saw in his side mirrors two vehicles emerging from nowhere. Up ahead a large van appeared, blocking the road.

_Shit, scavengers_. Teek had no doubt in his mind that he had just fallen for a trap and that he was in danger of losing his motorcycle. He was forced to slow down and stop in front of the van. The other two vehicles approached rapidly from behind; one was an old station wagon while the other was a Harley-Davidson. The rider was wearing a helmet that he removed as soon as he stopped, revealing a face that looked similar to one of the original members of the band the Midnight Riders, Teek thought. He turned off the engine and stepped off. Teek saw that he was a Hell's Angels biker, or at least he had the leather jacket. A shotgun was strapped to his back. The man in the station wagon stepped out, holding a submachine gun.

"That's a mighty fine looking ride you got there, son," said the biker. "Where'd you get it?"

Teek's mind buzzed for a moment, thinking. He decided to tell the truth.

"I swiped it from Thomas Galt."

The biker burst out laughing followed by the station wagon guy who sounded slightly false. He kept looking at the biker, mimicking his moves. Teek deduced the biker was the leader. The man driving the van stepped out and leant against the side of his vehicle. Teek could not see any weapon.

"A scrawny little bastard like you managed to pull one over on the most powerful guys in the country?"

"He ain't so powerful no more," Teek decided to try and sound like the biker as he spoke. He did not sound too convincing.

"What do you mean?"

"Ain't you heard? Old man Galt got a little too big for his boots. Got sloppy. I was able to take this right from under his nose 'cause he had other things on his mind at the time."

"Like what? Banging your mom?" The station wagon guy laughed because he felt he had to.

"Nah," Teek continued to sound caviller. "He was up to his neck in zombies."

The smile fell from the station wagon guy's face as if it had been blown away by the wind.

"You're shitting me," the biker muttered.

"I ain't shittin'" Teek shrugged. "I liberated this bad boy not so long ago. Was gonna take it back to my Clan. Word's gonna spread mighty quick about Galt so if you wanna get your hands on some good guns or cars then I'd get going now."

Teek was very aware that the van man was slowly approaching him from behind. He had left his motorcycle running just in case he needed it and he was sure he was about to.

"Why should we run all the way to Boise to get some of Thomas Galt's stuff," the biker mused, looking menacingly at Teek, "when you've brought us some right now?"

Teek could sense the van man reaching out for him. In a flash, Teek pulled out his pistol, spun around and beat him over the head with it. The biker drew his shotgun. Teek jumped onto his motorcycle and pulled hard on the throttle while braking. The bike made a sudden 180 degree turn, allowing Teek to face the biker and the station wagon guy who was just about to open fire. As he did so, Teek released the brake and fired a few shots at the biker, deliberately missing him. The biker jumped to the side, dropping his helmet that Teek scooped up using his pistol. Turning again, he paused to put on his helmet and look at the biker.

"Your chapter is finished," Teek said, sliding the visor shut and speeding away, leaving them there awe struck.

As he disappeared into the distance, Teek could not stop himself from grinning. He could not believe what he had just done. He never would have done something like that not so long ago. Travelling with the Midnight Riders had changed him. He was only supposed to stay with them until he got a new bike, something that he now had. But now thinking about it; he quite enjoyed the company of Coach and the others. He was a part of a family and despite the drama, he loved every moment of it. He felt for the first time ever that he truly belonged. He looked up to Coach, a trusted father figure who always looked out for him. Now it was Teek's time to return the favour and warn him of Fraser's bomb.

He wondered what would happen in the future. Although their motives had not yet been fully revealed it appeared that the mercenaries that had rescued them from Galt's prison intended to get them out of the country. Teek wondered why for a moment before forcing himself not to question something good. Miguel, Madison, Bill and all the others were people who for all intents and purposed seemed to be good, decent people. The same could not be said for the majority of people left in the country. Teek was certain that these mercenaries would take them to safety but what would happen next?

Teek had lived like this for over a year; driving all over the country for people all the while shooting the infected to stay alive. He had killed quite a few of them, not as many as most people but still a fair amount. He had never really thought about it until now. He never really wondered about who the person was before they were infected; what type of family they had, who their friends were, whether they were happy or not. It was easier not to. Teek pushed these thoughts from his mind and continued riding forward.

He would not know how he would cope to return to 'normal' life again. After all; this had been his existence for a year. It had changed him. Before he was a timid boy with few friends. When the apocalypse came around he was able to survive for quite a while because he had isolated himself, only venturing outside when he needed supplies. After about a month of isolation he was forced to start moving. He had a fast bike but no idea where to go. As the Clans and Havens began cropping up he started having places to go. He went there to get supplies, paying for food and gasoline by becoming a messenger. He was with people but was still on fringe of the new societies that were forming, much like the old one. When Coach took him under his wing he began to come out of his shell and became quite close with Drake.

Drake. Teek's wide grin had faded as he thought about the morose side of his existence. However when he thought of Drake he smiled softly. He felt a warmth deep inside that he had never experienced before. It was difficult to describe but Teek knew that Drake had something to do with this feeling. The two had become very close since Teek had joined the Midnight Riders. Drake had made him more confident, more happy. Would Teek have taken on the biker if he had never met Drake? Probably not. Drake had done a lot for Teek and after the recent events back in Galt's prison, Teek felt closer to him than ever before. Teek ran his tongue over his lips and thought about when Drake had kissed him. He began to go faster so that he would see him again soon.

* * *

With Francis pushing the tour bus to its maximum speed, the others began to formulate a new plan. Nick and Malcolm had been freed from their restraints. Rochelle was lying at the back, sitting up after being given a few painkillers. Everyone was keeping a respectable distance from her, except Drake who was still tending to her injuries, wearing protective gloves. Still injured, Nick was sat down at the table near Rochelle with his leg up. Zoey and Cassandra were next to them while Louis and Malcolm were at the opposite side of the table. Norah was leaning against the table while Miguel and Madison were stood in front of them all. Bill was sat on the kitchen counter, smoking out of the window.

"Okay, here's the deal," Miguel wanted to summarise the mission. "Our mission was to find and bring you back, Ms Secretary." He gestured to Norah. "Edward Deacon had to pull a lot of strings to get this mission green lighted. It took a lot of time and he asked me to convey his apologies for not getting here sooner."

"Its fine," Norah smiled for the first time since Danielle died. "I always knew he'd come back. We made a promise to each other and that's just the kind of guy he is." Madison smiled politely at her.

"Naturally we'll take all of the recent additions to your organisation," she said, attempting to sound friendly. Instead she sounded overwhelmingly corporate. Drake cleared his throat.

"That's all well and good but the way I see it we have two problems." He held out one finger. "First; how are we getting out of here?"

"Coach is in New Bern, right?" Miguel thought aloud. "That's one of the first places you came across, wasn't it?" He was addressing Madison.

"That's right," she sighed. "We took out a guy called Oliver Rooney before moving on."

"You've helped take out Oliver Rooney and Thomas Galt?" Norah cried. "_Shit_."

"Remind me never to piss you off," Rochelle joked.

"Anyway since New Bern is close to the original landing zone we can extract from the same initial location," Miguel went on. "That's quite convenient, isn't it?"

"Yeah it's real convenient that we're racing half way across the country to stop a bomb from going off before we escape," Louis muttered. Zoey shot him a disapproving look.

"This brings me to my second point," Drake said. "Say we do rescue Benedict's people: I used to live with them before I hit the road. If they get wind of a rescue boat…"

"Submarine," Malcolm corrected.

"Whatevers," Drake waved his hand at him. "What I'm trying to say is what happens if they all find out that we're getting out of here but they're being condemned to stay?"

"I think we got ourselves a bigger issue than that," Bill tossed some ash out of the window. Everyone looked at him as he sat there smoking.

"Well?" Norah asked impatiently.

"Rochelle," Bill said in a matter-of-fact tone. Everyone glanced to her. "How do you expect to take her across the ocean when she's infected?"

"She's not going to turn into a zombie," Nick defended her.

"She might," Bill flicked more ash away. He glanced to Rochelle. "Look, kid, I don't mean to sound like a heartless bastard here but I think it'd be a huge mistake taking you out of this environment."

"That doesn't sound heartless at all," Nick muttered scathingly.

"Look, kid, you've not seen what the world is like on the other side of the ocean. Everyone is terrified that there'll be another outbreak. It happened in London and now the whole city has been quarantined. Civilisation is barely holding together with the thought of God damned zombies resting in the back of the minds of every man, woman and child."

"That's not Rochelle's fault!"

"No, but if we take with us a woman who can turn someone into a zombie just by touching them then pretty soon there will be another outbreak. More people will die. Rochelle, I don't want to talk about you as if you're not here but you've got to see this from an outside perspective."

"I can see this from an outside perspective," Louis suddenly spoke up. "My blood has special immunities to the infection that other people don't have. When it broke out in London they used my blood to help synthesise an antidote. Maybe Rochelle's blood could be used for the same thing?"

"If that's the case we could just take a blood sample," Bill suggested.

"Or we could not leave behind one of the people we came here to save," Louis snapped back.

"Hey!" Rochelle spoke up. Everyone turned to her. She sat forward, wincing in pain slightly. "Don't I get a say in this?"

"There's nothing to discuss," Nick told her. "We're not leaving you behind."

"I think you should do what's best," Rochelle told no one in particular. "Not what's best for me but what's best for… well, everyone. Circumstances have changed since that night we were all together on the cruise ship, talking about how to bring down the director of CEDA. I'm potentially very hazardous. On the flip side I could be very useful; I could be tested on and maybe a cure could be found for those who are zombies to turn them back into people. It's all a load of hypotheticals. The bottom line is that I'm willing to do whatever the majority of the group decides. If you all think its best I stay here then that's what I'll do. I've done some bad things in my life and part of all this mess is my fault so I'd be willing to hang back and live the rest of my life here to atone for my hand in everything. I'd also be willing to go back in confinement, quarantined from all human contact and be experimented on in the hope that I could help undo some of the damage I have done."

"Ro…" Nick's voice was quiet as a whisper.

"It's okay," she waved at him. "Ever since this was done to me I've been preparing to live the rest of my life alone. I'll never be able to touch someone; hold their hand or kiss their cheek without killing them. No matter what you all think is best for me I'll be spending the rest of my days alone. Option one is I could live here, killing zombies and trying to help my fellow man until my luck runs out and I'm killed by either a zombie or a person. Option two is I could be tested on to help scientists find a cure for the infection or maybe even cure me. Either way I'm helping people. Either way I am alone. So in all honesty; don't fight about this. Just vote. Keep me or leave me."

There was a moment of thick, sickly silence. Rochelle glanced around to see everyone thinking hard about what she had said. Nick was the first to make his opinion heard.

"We don't leave a man behind," he sat with his arms folded. He looked over to Bill. "Didn't they teach you that in 'Nam?"

Bill frowned at Nick.

"Son you leave a man behind if he's gonna kill you and your squad." Rochelle took that as one point to the leave her team. One each.

"I'm sorry but I have to agree," Norah sighed, not being able to look Rochelle in the eye.

"It's okay," Rochelle responded sweetly.

"The hell it is!" Nick snapped. "If this were Danielle you wouldn't be so nonchalant about this."

Norah stood up and looked Nick venomously in the eyes. Her stare was so shockingly frightful Nick recoiled.

"Easy," Drake held his hand out. "Let's not start saying things we'll all regret."

"Too fucking late," Norah spat. Miguel placed his hand gently on her shoulder. She was trembling. "You know how much Danielle meant to me. How _dare_ you mention her name?"

"If this was Danielle you'd fight to save her!"

"If this was Danielle she would understand the situation a lot like Rochelle here does!" Norah looked dangerous. Miguel pulled her away, sitting her with Madison to calm her down. The two went into one of the dressing rooms. The sound of Norah crying could be heard before the door closed. Miguel looked to Malcolm.

"What do we do?"

"Sir, I think I speak for Madison when I say that we're not the best people to pass judgment on this situation. We'll respect and follow your decision."

"Great…"

"I think you should stay here," Francis called from the front. "Sorry, Rochelle. I just think…"

"Stop apologising," Rochelle held up her hands. "I keep telling you I'm fine with either option." The sincerity in Rochelle's voice made it harder for everyone else. She turned to Louis. "I take it you're voting to take me with you?"

"Yes, ma'am," Louis said grimly. Even with his vote the score was still 3-2 in favour of leaving her behind. With Madison and Malcolm not participating it was down to Zoey, Drake, Cassandra and Miguel to decide.

"We're not all together," Cassandra pointed out. "I'm sure if Coach, Ellis and Teek were here they'd vote to keep Rochelle with us."

"Is that a vote to keep me?"

"Oh no," Cassandra held up her hands apologetically. "I think we should leave you here." Zoey looked horrified. "It's just I think that the others not being here means we should take their votes into account."

"You actually want to leave her here on her own?" Zoey gasped. "But… why?"

"Honey, it's far too dangerous to…"

"It's too dangerous? We pulled you out of a collapsing building. Don't tell me about danger because I've seen danger. I've shaken danger's hand for God's sake!"

"That was different. You tried to save my life and I'm grateful for that but if you messed up it would have only have been you who died. If we mess up then the whole world could fall to pieces."

"That would never happen," Zoey spat. "I vote to keep you, Rochelle."

"Me too," Drake seconded. "We Midnight Riders have to stick together, right?" He spoke softly so that Norah could not hear in the other room. Everyone then turned to look at Miguel.

The score was four each. Miguel's vote was the deciding one. There was no guarantee that the others in New Bern were alive so what he chose would most likely be what would happen. The weighed up the options in his head. Could he risk taking a highly infectious woman back to civilisation? He imagined if he did his career with the Bioterrorism Counter Force would be over before he set foot on British soil. But this was not about careers. This was about what was right.

Would it be right to leave Rochelle behind in order to save the rest of the world? Miguel thought back to his days in school. He was sat in history class learning about World War II. His teacher had been telling the class about the German side of the conflict and had brought in a special trinket from her grandfather's coin collection. Each student was allowed to hold the coin, giving them a chance to examine it up close. Miguel was the first to notice the engraving; _Gemeinnutz geht vor Eigennutz_. When he asked his teacher what it meant she smiled sweetly at him and told him "the welfare of the nation takes precedence over the selfishness of the individuals."

A slightly cold view, yes. However it was the philosophy that he had based his life around. He wanted to do what was best for his country and when he joined the BCF, for humanity as a whole. He tried to always do what was right for the greater good.

However he realised that he had broken his own rules many times before. When London was quarantined he marched in there with Madison and Edward Deacon to help people. He took this mission away from safety back into a dangerous infection zone to help again. Miguel broke his own rules, he realised, because if he sat back and let people get torn apart by the infected even though he could have helped he would never be able to live with himself. He wanted to help people. He wanted to help Rochelle.

Leaving Rochelle behind would be to prevent another outbreak but as long as they were careful there wouldn't be one, surely? Scientists handle virus samples all the time in laboratories and there has not been any accidental outbreak. So far every instance of an infection incident has been because of Avery Ingram; the director of CEDA who released the virus in some misguided attempt to save the world. He released the virus deliberately in order to try and develop a cure. He believed that the infection that turned people into Tanks, Hunters and so on was soon coming naturally and that the world needed to prepare. Was Rochelle the harbinger of humanity's destruction? Were the ramblings of an insane fool actually foreshadowing destiny?

It was a lot of pressure, a pressure intensified by the fact that everyone was looking at him waiting for an answer. Miguel's mouth was dry and his palms were sweaty. He had no idea what to do or what to say. He sighed exhaustedly and ran his hands through his hair. He was certain if stress like this continued to frequent his life he would be bald in a matter of months.

"I'm going to have to think about this," Miguel said finally. "As the commander of the HMS Jaeger I can't make life or death decisions like this on a whim. I have a chance to think this through and I'm going to take it." Rochelle smiled and nodded understandingly at him. Miguel wet his lips. "Meeting adjourned."

* * *

"What I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this room," Coach said to Benedict Bevan who held up his hands in a gesture of trust. Coach continued. "Thomas Galt has sent me here. He's holding my people hostage. He says that unless I manage to convince you to give up this location they all will die."

"Shit me…" Benedict sat back in awe. "That's why you're here?"

"That's right. Fraser's one of Galt's cronies. I'd keep an eye on him if I were you."

It was too late for any kind of action like that, however. Fraser had already stepped outside of the main building, casually strolling across the courtyard. He held the detonator in his hand. With one push he would destroy Thomas Galt's biggest rival. He was not sure of the status of his boss but nonetheless he intended to follow his orders. He turned around when he was at a safe distance to watch the fireworks.

* * *

Teek rode past a sign that informed him he was five miles away from New Bern. He pushed the motorcycle harder.

* * *

Fraser paused as he saw Ellis step out of the main building. He looked at the young hick curiously. Ellis walked toward him, taking a pistol out of his ammo bag.

"You're up to somethin'" Ellis pointed the gun at Fraser. "I've been keepin' an eye on you. You're shiftier than a fat woman in a cake shop." Fraser smiled and let out a loud laugh.

"You really are the epitome of stupid, kid, I'll give you that." Ellis' eyes narrowed at the insult and he took a few steps toward Fraser.

"I wouldn't have thought insultin' the guy pointin' a gun at you would be a good idea," Ellis cocked the gun. "Now who's stupid?"

"The fact that you've been watching me this whole time and yet you've not caught on to what I'm doing means that _you_ are the stupid one." Fraser lifted up the detonator; a small device the size of a cell phone. "Want to know what this is?"

"Drop it," Ellis ordered, closing the gap between him and Fraser. He was now only five feet away from him.

"I'd stop moving or else you risk things… _blowing_ out of proportion." Fraser grinned and Ellis' eyes narrowed further. In the distance the sound of a motorcycle could be heard.

"What is that?"

"It's a detonator, my inbred friend."

Ellis recoiled in absolute shock, dropping his pistol.

"It's good to know you know what a detonator is… is that a motorbike?"

"P-put it down!" Ellis begged.

"I'm not going to do that," Fraser told him. "I've got strict orders you see; blow this entire place to smithereens." He eyed Ellis slyly. "However… I'd be willing to give you a chance because I'd love to see you try in vain to do something."

Ellis took a step back.

"I'll got explosive devices hidden all around the grounds; you'll never find them all. I'll give you thirty seconds to try and save as many people as you can. After that time; kaboom!"

"T-thirty seconds?" Ellis repeated. "That ain't nearly enough time to…"

"Twenty-eight seconds, now…"

Ellis' face fell. He dropped his bag, turned on his heel and sprinted as fast as he could toward the main doors as Fraser laughed, watching him go. He turned around and walked toward the main gates. Ellis made it through the main doors.

"Everybody!" he shouted at the top of his lungs in the lobby. "I need y'all to listen!"

Fraser was beside the main gate and looked back out at the main compound of Benedict Bevan's Clan. Soon it would be nothing more than rubble. He could not wait to see the explosion so lifted the detonator. Licking his lips and breaking his word, he pushed the detonation switch.

Teek felt the force of the blast and saw the fireball rise into the sky as he turned the corner.

Every single bomb detonated at the exact same time, causing a ground shaking blast that knocked people off their feet, shattered glass windows and carried far into the night. Fraser was pushed through the gates by the force of the blast, crashing against the police car he used to get there. Slumped to the ground, his eyes dizzying, he could not make out the view in front of him. There was fire. However through the flames he saw the outline of the manor house. Frowning he looked to the ground where Ellis had dropped his gun and bag. There was a large crater.

_Crafty son of a bitch_.

Fraser stumbled to his feet, holding onto the police car for support. He opened the door and sat in the driver's seat, not closing it as he prepared to make a hasty getaway. The ringing in his ears was louder than the explosion so it was no surprise that he did not hear the person sneak up behind him and tap him on the shoulder. Fraser leant out of the police car and looked up at Teek smiling down at him.

"Licence and registration, please." Before he could react, Teek grabbed the door and slammed it on Fraser's head, knocking him out. Fraser fell out of the seat and crashed to the ground. Looking over at Benedict's manor house, he saw Ellis and Coach step outside to investigate what was going on. Teek waved at them, giving them a thumbs up.

* * *

It had been a long drive but the tour bus was now only ten miles away from New Bern. Malcolm swapped driving with Francis a few hours ago so that he could have a rest. Everyone had formed small groups and were talking quietly to each other. Madison and Norah were still together in Norah's room. Zoey and Louis were sat with Cassandra while Nick and Rochelle were at the back together. Drake was at the front with Malcolm while Bill and Francis were stood at the kitchen, Bill smoking out of the window. Miguel was floating around, a serious look on his face.

"Do you regret coming back here?" Francis asked Bill.

"No," Bill took the cigarette from his lips and flicked some ash out the window. "Why?"

"I dunno, man. I guess I had a lot of time to think when I was driving. We were safe back in England. We could have had a fresh start and yet we all came back here. I'm just wondering why."

"You obviously regret it," Bill said.

"I guess I do."

"Why?"

"I guess I thought I'd enjoy coming back here and killing more zombies but… I don't. It was fun at first; like I was in one massive bar fight but now it's just a bit…"

"Tired?"

"Serious. I never signed up for all of this, man. All I wanted to do was survive. Now we're talking about saving the world; it's crazy."

"I hear that," Bill chuckled. He tossed his cigarette butt out of the window and sighed. "Personally I don't regret coming back. Not one bit."

"How can you enjoy this?" Francis asked. Bill shrugged.

"I guess I love a good fight. Fighting is the best thing I'm good at if you can believe that. After 'Nam I wasn't allowed to fight anymore and my life just went into a downward spiral. As funny as it sounds; these zombies have saved my life." Francis fell quiet, not knowing what to say. Bill glanced out of the window, inhaling the air that was coming through.

"I can't believe you voted to kick her out!" Zoey said to Cassandra. "How could you?"

"Honey; it was all in favour for the greater good. You know that." Zoey sat back and rolled her eyes. Louis held a supportive hand on her shoulder. "My view is: prevent disaster from striking by eliminating all dangerous options. As sad as it is to say; Rochelle is a danger."

"She is also one of us. We should help her!"

"Oh sweetie," Cassandra ran her hand over Zoey's cheek. "You've never had to make a really tough decision like this before. One day you'll know what it's like." Cassandra stood up and went to the kitchen area. The conversation left a bad taste in Zoey's mouth. Louis looked at her, concerned.

"You alright?"

"She thinks I'm just a stupid kid… It's no wonder I ran away from home."

"Look," Louis held her tight. "I know how you're feeling. I think it's shit how people are so willing to just write her off like this." Zoey closed her eyes and sighed. She pulled herself away from Louis.

"I'm not a stupid kid; I've made some tough decisions in my life."

"I'm not arguing with you. You've been through a lot."

"I never told you," Zoey sighed. "There was something I wanted to tell you for ages that I never have done before." Louis, intrigued, leant forward. Lowering her voice, Zoey spoke.

"Back before we got together when we escaped London I found out something during the routine infection tests. I was pregnant." Louis looked surprised and sat back. "It was Graham's child."

"But…" Louis interjected. "You never gave birth. I never saw you with a bump or anything." Zoey gave him a look. "Oh…"

"I couldn't have a child, Louis. I'm not ready. I want to do so many things before I settle down. I want to do what I can to stop these zombies. Besides what kind of person would bring a child into this world when we've got these sorts of problems?" Louis put his hand on her shoulder, nodding understandingly. "I'm gonna join the BCF when we get back. I want to do what I can to fix all of this."

Madison stepped out of Norah's room, pushing her hair from her face. She looked exhausted. She went over to Miguel.

"That is one angry woman," she told him. "She blames Nick for the death of her best friend."

"This is just what we need…" Miguel muttered. "Well thanks for trying to calm her down." Madison smiled sweetly at him. "I'll go and try now." Madison nodded. Miguel patted her on the shoulder as he walked past. He then stopped, letting his hand linger there before turning around.

"Thanks, Madison," he said softly. "I don't know what I'd have done without you." Madison smiled to herself as Miguel walked away, placing her on hand where he had been touching her shoulder.

Inside Norah's room, Miguel sat opposite her. She looked a mess.

"I would ask how you're doing but…"

"What do you want?" Norah lay down on her bed. "Just leave me alone."

"I can't do that Ms Hanham. I was sent here to bring you back and I need to make sure that you're not going to be a danger to anyone."

"The only danger here is Rochelle. We need to cut her lose."

"I only think you're saying that because she's close to Nick and you want to get back at him for the death of Danielle."

Norah sat up.

"What did you just say?"

"You blame Nick for her death. That's understandable considering she sacrificed herself to save his life. However I'm not sure that's all there is to it. I think that deep down you blame yourself for not being there to help your best friend and you're transferring these feelings onto Nick."

"Don't try and feed me your psychobabble horse shit. I know how I feel."

"Yes and I know that I feel uneasy around you. You seem slightly on the edge; unstable, even."

"You're worried I'm going to try and hurt Nick?"

"That's not inaccurate…"

"Commander," Norah put her hands together. "I will despise that man for the rest of my life. However I'm not going to kill him. That's not the kind of person I am." Miguel eyed her closely. "I'm not the type of person who shoots people who have wronged her. That's just not me. I can hardly shoot zombies, let alone a real person." Miguel sat back, thought for a moment and then nodded.

At the back of the bus Nick and Rochelle were talking. They were sat close together.

"How are you feeling?" Nick asked her.

"I'm okay. Drake gave me some pain killers and told me that I more bruised than broken." They sat in silence for a moment. "Thanks for standing up for me."

"I'm not going to let them leave you here alone," he assured her. Rochelle smiled but shook her head.

"That's the way things have to be," she replied. "No matter what I'm going to be alone."

"I want to be there for you."

Rochelle looked at Nick, smiling.

"That's sweet," she told him. "But unnecessary. You deserve a girl who you can actually hold hands with without dying shortly after."

"I reckon it'd be worth it in your case." There was another silence. The two just looked at each other. "You know, Rochelle, I know I've only just found out about what's happened with you but… I've never wanted to hold you more."

"I feel the same," Rochelle smiled, thinking back to the first time she and Nick had kissed on this very tour bus. "But… we have to move on."

"Even if I'd die," Nick whispered to her, "I still want to hold your hand." The two looked at each other silently.

"We're here," Malcolm announced, pulling into Benedict Bevan's property. A large welcome party of men with guns came to greet them. Drake opened the door as the bus was still moving and waved at some familiar faces.

"Hey guys!" he called out. "Did you miss me?"

* * *

There was a grand reunion as the Midnight Riders and Miguel's rescue team reacquainted themselves with each other, catching up on all details. Miguel ordered everyone not to reveal any information regarding the rescue plan. As Benedict heard news of the demise of Thomas Galt's empire he insisted everyone stay for dinner as means of thanks. He went to the room where Fraser was being imprisoned and told him the news himself. Fraser's reaction was aggressive and he started thrashing out and screaming violently. Benedict made Waylon close and lock the door.

The meal everyone sat down to was delicious but it was hardly a banquet. With low supplies Benedict offered everyone sandwiches. It had been months since any of them had eaten bread so what they had on their plates did not last long. Coach was sat with Ellis and toasted him on his ingenuity with saving Benedict's Clan. Nick and Rochelle were sat together, laughing and chatting with the group. They were coming out of their shell that recent events had created and were finally acting like themselves again. Norah did not like what she saw as Nick laughed and joked so she stood up and left, accidentally bumping into Waylon as she did.

Drake and Teek were together, excitedly chatting and eating while next to them were Zoey and Louis who were slightly more subdued. Cassandra noticed their behaviour but did not ask what was wrong. Bill and Francis were drinking copious amounts of alcohol and were already quite drunk and had taken to singing songs. Drake and Teek raised their glasses and joined in followed by Coach, Ellis, Nick and Malcolm. Miguel and Madison sat in awe as they watched the strange, eclectic group of people drink together. They glanced at each other and began to laugh heartily. Madison rested her hand on Miguel's without her realising as she laughed. Miguel did realise, however. This made his smile grow even wider.

Upstairs Fraser was angrily pacing in his cell. He could hear everyone downstairs laughing and having a good time. It sickened him. He heard the door to his room unlocking and he glanced over to see Norah Hanham walk inside.

"Want to get revenge?" she asked him.

Back downstairs the singing died down and Coach stood up, slightly shakily, to make a toast.

"I just want to say a few words," he wobbled on the spot somewhat. "I just… want to say a few words."

"Then say them!" Drake cried.

"I will!" Coach chuckled. "I just want to say that… all of you…" he gestured to the table. "You've all made me so proud. We have all worked together to help each other out and I just… I just feel really proud. Thank you." Benedict started clapping and the whole table followed suit. As Nick clapped eagerly he saw Norah walk past him. She tapped him on the shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Nick nodded and told Rochelle that he would be back in a moment. No one saw him or Norah leave.

Outside Nick saw Norah waiting for him with her arms folded. When she saw him she gestured for him to approach her.

"What's going on?" he asked her.

"I know that we've had our… differences lately," Norah told him. "I think it's my fault. Something Miguel said to me about misplaced blame of whatever… Anyway I just want to say that… Well… I don't think I can ever forgive you, not really. However soon we'll be back in civilisation with regular laws." Nick's eyes narrowed.

"Norah you're not making sense."

"I know," she sighed. "I've had a bit to drink. What I mean to say is that I've finally figured out a way to help me get over all of this."

"Oh? What's that?"

Norah gestured to the shadows and Fraser suddenly emerged. Nick was confused.

Suddenly Norah lifted a handgun and pulled the trigger three times sending three bullets into Nick's chest. Fraser recoiled in shock. Nick coughed up a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground. Norah turned and tossed Fraser the gun she had used to shoot Nick. He instinctively caught it. Just as people emerged from around corners to investigate what was going on she shot Fraser once in the head, sending him down.

"Patsy," she muttered. Turning she dropped her gun and let out a cry. "You need to help me! Nick's been shot! Get a doctor, now!" Benedict's men obeyed her and ran to get help. Norah looked down at Nick's lifeless body and smiled. "Now I have closure," she told him.

Nick suddenly began to convulse. _Shit. He's not dead_. Norah knelt down next to him. He opened his eyes and looked at her. Norah could tell that he would not survive his injuries; it was just a matter of time until he died. He just needed to die before he told anyone what had happened. He lifted up his hand but she took it firmly and put it down.

"It's okay," she told him. "You don't have to say anything. It's over."

"…y-you…"

"Yes…" Norah smiled. "But no one will ever know."

"Nick!" Rochelle screamed at the top of her lungs. Everyone was outside and running toward them. They huddled around Nick as Norah told a lie about Fraser shooting him. People were talking worriedly about Nick's condition; wondering where help was. It was obvious that a first aid kit was not going to be much good now. Everyone knew this. Nick knew, Norah knew and Rochelle knew. Rochelle stepped past Norah and knelt down next to Nick. She tentatively reached out.

"What's she doing?" Ellis asked quietly.

Rochelle took Nick's hand. He felt cold.

"Hey, sweetie," she whispered softly to him, squeezing his hand. She was trying to smile but tears were falling down her face. "I… I don't want…"

Nick shook his head at her. He smiled before coughing up more blood. Rochelle leant down and kissed him on the forehead. He smiled again.

"I…" he coughed. Everyone leant in. "I… told you… it'd be worth it."

Nick's hand slipped from Rochelle's. He stopped coughing. Everyone else had stopped still. Rochelle looked down at him, tears silently falling down her face. She swallowed and attempted to compose herself. She leant forward and closed Nick's eyes.

The silence was unbearable.


	13. The Crimson Hunter

_**The Midnight Riders**_

Chapter Eleven – The Crimson Hunter

Gunshots echoed through the empty streets of New Bern but there were no marksmen in sight. The blasts came from Benedict Bevan's compound; a lavish manor house with several buildings to the rear of it that housed areas for food storage and even a miniature hospital complete with operating rooms and research laboratories. It was deep within the medical area from where the gunshots were coming from.

The lavish manor house was ablaze. Inside furniture was incinerated, walkways were destroyed and the foundations crumbled. It would not take long for the entire building to collapse, destroying the Clan that used it as their base of operations.

Thomas Galt was gone and so was his Clan. Oliver Rooney was no more after being taken over by Benedict Bevan. Now the compassionate wheelchair bound man was gone too, along with all of his friends.

The Midnight Riders were nowhere to be seen.

The gunshots were soon silenced.

The end had come.

* * *

Kathryn Stevens sat in the Tactics Room of the HMS Richard Jaeger nervously tapping the side of the touch screen table display that sat in the centre of all of the computers. Her commander, Miguel Doyle, had just informed her of recent events; one member of Secretary of Homeland Security Norah Hanham's team known as the Midnight Riders had been shot dead. Miguel told Kathryn that they were going to have a very quick funeral service for the deceased before they set off to the rendezvous location just a few miles away. From there they would board the submarine and then go home; mission accomplished.

When Miguel had first told Kathryn that he wanted her to oversee the operation because he was going into the field; a wave of excitement hit her so hard that she was almost knocked off her feet. The short, bespectacled young woman with short red hair was never used to being outside of the engineering room, let alone in charge. However soon after Miguel left she realised that all she was really doing was following the team's progress on the satellite link map and talking to them every once in a while. It was not the power trip that she had imagined. In fact it was mostly pretty boring. Aside from one or two interesting incidents and the recent murder, she seldom observed anything of interest during the mission.

All radio chatter was recorded and archived so that it was easier for Kathryn to prepare and send reports back home, a task she was expected to do every twelve hours. She felt that the number of times she was expected to report back home felt quite excessive but she shrugged and did what was expected of her; after it was not her job to have fun or to be in charge.

However one day she suddenly received a video call. An image was displayed on the touch screen table of the Tactics Room, which suddenly lifted up and tilted so that it could be viewed like a standard television screen. When Kathryn noticed who was on the screen her eyes widened and her whole body stiffened.

She was being contacted out of the blue by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the President of the United States.

Trembling slightly, Kathryn saluted them before lowering her arm and standing tall and straight. It was a very uncomfortable position to be in.

"At ease," the Prime Minister said with a friendly wave of the hand.

"Mr Prime Minister," Kathryn looked to the President. "Mr President, sir… sirs. I had no idea that you were going to call me directly."

"No," the President put his hands together. "We had no idea we were going to do this either."

Kathryn's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Sir?"

"I'm going to be frank with you," the Prime Minister said. "Forgive me for skipping over the formal niceties but time is not on our side and discretion is paramount."

Kathryn had a sudden bad feeling in the depths of her stomach. She realised that you don't get a call from both the Prime Minister and the President without there being a serious reason behind it. She suddenly felt insecure and out of her depth.

"Pardon me, sir, but I don't think that I am the person you should be speaking to. Lieutenant commander Doyle is still in the field but he should be returning soon."

"We don't need Miguel Doyle," the Prime Minister said. "We need you."

Kathryn felt a lump in her throat. Her legs felt weak and her hands were trembling. In an attempt to seem cool and casual she leant against the back of her chair, gripping it tight so that they would not notice her nervousness.

"The bioterrorism counter force has undergone some dramatic changes over the past few weeks," the President said. "Changes that drastically alter the parameters of your mission."

"I see."

"Edward Deacon has been removed from office along with Anna Shepherd," the Prime Minister informed her. "It was felt that they were not the best people to be in charge of the BCF by their peers or by the general public. Many people shared the opinion that simply waiting for biohazard threats to pop up and deal with them then is an ineffectual way to handle incidents of this magnitude."

"Nonetheless they have done good work so we've not thrown them to the wolves," the President added. "They've merely been reassigned to other areas within the public sector; areas where they would be better suited. In their wake they have been replaced by bold thinkers; scientists not soldiers."

"Scientists the world over have been trying to make heads and tails of this virus that can turn people into monsters for nearly a year now," the Prime Minister went on. "There has been some success with regards to developing vaccines and so on but we feel that there is so much more that we could do in order to protect the world from this disease. That's where you come in."

Kathryn frowned.

"I don't understand… I'm just watching the shop while the owner's gone; I'm not in charge of this operation."

"The operation has now changed," said the President. "And so has the commanding officer. From now own, you are in charge Ms Stevens."

Kathryn was not sure that she had heard correctly so she asked the President to repeat what he had just said.

"You heard him," the Prime Minister cut in. "You're relieving Doyle of his command; effective immediately. Congratulations on your promotion."

"Oh dear shit…" Kathryn muttered under her breath. This was all happening so fast. She felt as if she were about to hyperventilate.

"As commanding officer you are expected to listen to us and us only," the President said. "Do you understand? If we give you an order it is imperative that you follow it immediately. If we say jump, don't ask how high, just do it. Do you understand?"

Kathryn could not muster the words so she simply nodded.

"Good," the Prime Minister's face suddenly fell. "Now we must move onto how the mission has changed…"

* * *

Rochelle was sat with her knees tucked close to her body outside the manor house. She was two feet from a large red stain on the grass, the red stain that she had been staring at for what felt like forever to everyone else, however to her it felt as if no time had passed at all. Night had turned to day and yet Rochelle was still sitting there. Her clothes were stained with a dried red colour, almost crimson. She continued staring at the spot where the man she had loved died.

Coach stepped out of the main doors holding two cups of coffee that steamed in the cool air. He saw Rochelle and a look of pity washed across his face. He went over to her, being careful not to spill any coffee.

"I got you a drink," he said, standing over her. Rochelle did not answer; she did not even look away from the spot. Coach sighed and carefully got down on his knees and placed one of the cups next to her. He then made himself more comfortable and sat with Rochelle for a while.

He sat with her as he drank his coffee while she neglected hers. Coffee was a rare commodity nowadays and yet she ignored it. She knew that she would probably be leaving America soon where she would receive coffee whenever she wanted it, even if she were being subjected to a whole manner of intrusive tests for the rest of her life. If she ended up staying she would probably never have the chance to drink coffee again and yet she sat there letting her own cup slowly go cold.

She could live without the coffee. She was not sure if she could live without Nick.

Watching from a distance, Norah was stood leaning against a wall. Her eyes were fixated on Rochelle. She knew the pain that she felt; she was responsible for it. Even though she could relate, Norah did not care. Even though she should have been able to see a lot of herself in Rochelle's position she did not. She just felt slightly relieved. Relieved and satisfied.

"You okay?" Cassandra suddenly appeared behind Norah, causing her to jump with shock.

"You frightened me," Norah gasped.

"Sorry," said Cassandra, glancing in the direction Norah was looking. Her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing?"

"Oh," Norah paused for a moment, gesticulating as she attempted for form a reason as to why she was there. "I just feel really bad for Rochelle."

"We all do," Cassandra said.

"Yeah, well I've gone through what she's going through. I was going to see if maybe I could help her or something but… I dunno; she looks a bit withdrawn."

"She's probably still in shock," Cassandra shrugged.

"It's just hard, you know. I feel like I should have done something. All I heard was the gunshot; when I got there Nick was already on the ground."

"No one could have done anything to prevent it," Cassandra put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. Norah turned her head slightly so that she would not be seen with a slight smirk. "You can talk to Rochelle about it later. For now, why don't you just give her some time?"

"Yeah," Norah nodded. "I think I will."

Despite what she had just said, Norah remained standing there, watching Rochelle. Cassandra turned to move away but when she noticed Norah was not doing the same she looked back at her. Norah glanced at Cassandra.

"Was there something else?" she asked.

"No…" Cassandra shook her head and Norah turned back. Cassandra frowned as she looked at Norah but she turned around anyway and walked away.

Coach had nearly finished drinking his coffee and Rochelle had still not even touched hers. Swallowing the last mouthful Coach sighed and put the cup on the ground. He sat silently, glancing at Rochelle every once in a while as if he wanted to say something. Every time he tried to speak the words suddenly left him. He wanted to say something; anything. But what could he say? He decided that he probably should not be the one talking so he looked to Rochelle and finally said something.

"Talk to me."

Rochelle shrugged.

"What about?"

"Whatever you want."

"The weather's nice, isn't it?"

Coach sighed and rubbed his temples with his fingers.

"What do you want me to say?" Rochelle asked. Her tone was dull and flat. "What can I say? Do you want me to talk about this?" She gestured to Nick's blood stain. "What can I say about it?"

"You can tell me how you're feeling?" Coach suggested.

"I don't want to do that."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not a 'let's share our feelings' kind of girl. This is not a slumber party and I'm not in a therapy session."

_Slumber party_? Coach thought. He could not imagine Rochelle being a slumber party kind of girl. He sat forward and put his hands together.

"Back before everything turned to shit I got in deep with the wrong types of people."

"You've told this story before," Rochelle pointed out.

"I guess I'm gonna tell it again, then," Coach said. "These people tried to kill my fiancée, Ruth, as a way of sending a message to me. When I thought that she was dead I got angry; I got very angry. I've never been good at controlling my emotions so I went to these people and took my anger out on them as a way of dealing with it."

"You can't really compare the two situations though," Rochelle said, looking away from the blood for the first time. "Ruth turned up okay. Nick won't."

"I'm just thinking," Coach sat forward as Rochelle looked away. "Are you bottling your emotions up? It can't be healthy if you are; you need to deal with them otherwise you could end up taking your frustration out on people who don't deserve it."

"I don't feel frustrated."

"Okay. What are you feeling?"

"Why do I have to be feeling anything?"

"Well someone you cared about just died; don't you feel that talking through the pain will help?"

"How will it help? Will it bring Nick back from the dead? No. Will it turn back time? No. All it will do is waste words and waste time."

"Both of those things are free and plentiful, though."

"I'm not discussing it with you, Coach." Rochelle suddenly got to her feet. She looked down at him. "Christ; he's been dead for a few hours can't I just have some time?"

Rochelle walked away, Coach watching her as she went. He heard for the first time throughout their conversation a feeling in her voice. It was one of frustration.

* * *

Later that day Miguel, Coach and Benedict talked about arranging a funeral for Nick. They decided to have a ceremony that very night. Benedict suggested the idea of having a small bonfire that they could all gather around so that they could share stories about Nick before cremating him. With everyone agreeing to the plan, Miguel arranged a small group to go out and search for firewood and other materials that could be used for the bonfire. Drake and Teek volunteered as did Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey. Coach worked with Cassandra and Benedict's number two, Pam to write a few words for the ceremony. Miguel and Madison began building the bonfire and arranging the fuel in a safe way so that it would be easily accessible. They were building it close to the centre of the courtyard so that as many people as possible could fit around it.

As the two built the base of the fire Miguel noticed that Madison was looking around the courtyard rather often.

"What's up?" he asked her.

"Huh?" Madison looked at him, a blank expression on her face. She then suddenly twigged what he said. "Oh! I'm just wondering where Norah and Malcolm are."

"I gave Malcolm to Benedict; that explosion caused a bit of damage and he's helping them fix it. I've no idea where Norah is."

"Is it me or has she been acting kind of weird recently?"

Miguel shrugged. "I don't really know her well enough to say. She saw Nick get murdered and they were together for quite a while; that might have something to do with it."

"I don't know," Madison shook her head, an insightful expression on her face. "Back when we were on the bus before Nick died she was acting quite unusual. There was just something off about her that I can't quite put my finger on."

Miguel smiled as Madison explained herself. She noticed and frowned.

"What's so funny? This is serious stuff!"

"I know, I'm sorry; I'm not being very appropriate."

"So what's so funny?"

"Nothing's funny really; I just like that face you pull."

"That face I pull?" Madison stepped back, folding her arms.

"The one you make when you're being all inquisitive and stuff. It's cute."

Madison's seriousness suddenly evaporated. She wanted to smile but she tried to supress it. Even so there was a slight grin forming at the sides of her mouth.

"It's cute?" she repeated. "What are we, sixteen?"

"I'm just saying! After everything that's happened I guess I think that I shouldn't take things for granted anymore. I'm thinking that if there's something to be said then I should just say it."

Miguel suddenly stopped speaking. He felt very hot all of a sudden. He was fully aware of Madison looking at him with a sly smile on her face. Despite what he had just said he had no desire to say anything else. Madison rolled her eyes and stepped forward.

"Do you want to ask me out, commander?"

Miguel's heart suddenly started beating very quickly. He could not believe this; he was acting like a stupid teenager. He opened his mouth to say something but no words formed.

"I bet you were a huge hit with the ladies back home."

"Oh yeah," Miguel chuckled awkwardly. "They were lining up outside my front door."

"I bet," Madison looked at the bonfire. She had suddenly lost interest in it.

"What would you say, then?" Miguel asked shyly. "If I did ask you out?"

Madison deliberately remained silent for a moment, pretending to think.

"If you want to know then you should just ask."

"Hey, guys!" Waylon, Benedict's third hand, was calling at them from the second floor of the manor house. The two looked up at him. "Do you think one of you could come up here and give us a hand?"

"I'll go," Madison called back. She looked back at Miguel. "Catch you later." She gave him a wink and walked away with a slight spring in her step. Miguel was feeling very hot. Very hot indeed.

* * *

Ellis was walking through the manor house. He had been helping Waylon and Malcolm fix some damage caused by Fraser's failed bomb attack. The work was nothing too strenuous but Ellis asked Waylon if he could take a break for a while.

He left the second floor library where he had been replacing books that had fallen off the shelves due to the force of the blast. It was tedious work that gave him time to think. He went down the stairs and walked across the hallway and into a corridor. He approached one door that was three doors down on the right hand side and put his hand on the knob before taking a moment. He sighed, closed his eyes and stepped through it.

Ellis stepped into a small bedroom. It was finely decorated as every other room of the manor. Lying on the bed was Nick, his arms folded over his chest. He had not been changed out of his clothes; the white suit was now a dark crimson because of the blood.

Leaving the door ajar, Ellis tentatively stepped through the room toward Nick. He could not take his eyes off him as he approached him. He did not look real. He looked almost as if he were made of plastic or wax. Despite what he looked like, he was still Nick.

Ellis so badly wished that he wasn't.

Stopping just short of the bed, Ellis continued to look down at his friend. His eyes suddenly filled with tears. Ellis took a few steps to the side and put his back against a wall. He slid down to the floor, covering his face with his hands and sobbed quietly, letting out only the faintest of whimpers.

* * *

Not far away from the compound the search party had managed to find several good sources of fuel. Using one of Benedict's pickup trucks as a way to carry the supplies, everyone threw whatever they thought was appropriate for the fire. Down one of the suburban streets they even managed to break into a garage in a deserted house and found a 4x4 with almost a full tank of gas. Drake was able to syphon the gas tank dry with ease, claiming he was "good at sucking", causing Teek to blush.

Walking lazily down the road of one of the streets, Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey were side by side. Bill had a cigarette in his mouth while Zoey had her hands behind her back, gently holding onto a pistol. They had not encountered any infected in a while.

"I can't believe it's nearly over," Louis said, breaking a very long moment of silence.

"I can," Bill spat the cigarette butt onto the ground. "It was always going to end."

"I can't believe we came back," Francis sighed.

"We made a promise, didn't we?" said Zoey. "We said that we'd come back for them."

"I dunno, man," said Francis. "I mean why did we go through all this effort for people who essentially are complete strangers?"

"No one is a stranger, Francis," said Bill. "Not anymore. We're all soldiers fighting a war against these zombies. Soldiers do not leave their teammates behind. Even if they have to wait a year, even if the battle is over; we still have to come back for them."

"Bill we're not soldiers," Louis pointed out. "Come to think of it; neither are you. Not anymore.  
Vietnam was years ago."

"You don't have to fight for your country to be a soldier; you just have to fight for a cause that you believe in. We all believed in the same thing; stopping the Director. We all fought different battles to try and stop him. In the end we did. But just because the war is over it doesn't mean the threat is gone. There will always be other men to replace the dangerous ones. There will always be people who want to force their own twisted agenda onto other people. That is why there will always be people like us; fighting to stop them. Fighting to save the world."

The speech came not from Bill but from Zoey and the three men looked at her in slight surprise. She looked back and shrugged. They walked on a bit more without speaking for a while until Bill broke the silence.

"I don't want the fight to end," Bill sighed. Francis and Louis looked at him, surprised.

"You can still fight, Bill," Zoey told him. "I was speaking to Edward Deacon before we set off about joining the BCF. With proper training we all could join."

"I don't think so," Bill muttered.

"Damn straight!" Louis cried. "The only reason I came back here was to make sure that you would be okay." He looked at Zoey tenderly. "There's no way I'm going back to the front lines after this; no sir, nuh-uh."

"That's good for you because you have a choice," Bill said. "Look at me; I have no choice."

"What are you talking about?"

"I want to fight; fighting is my heart and soul. Even if I tried to officially join the BCF when we get back do you honestly think that they would let me go back into the field at my age? I don't think so. Most of the work would be behind a desk anyway; not out here where you could do some real good and make a real difference."

A morose silence fell over the group.

"That Nick guy is a good example," Bill continued. "He's an example of what happens when people just lose it. People out here have enough to worry about with these damned zombies without suddenly killing each other. These survivors, these Clans; they all need help and the rest of the world have no intention of giving it to them."

"There's nothing we can do about that, though," Francis put his hand on Bill's shoulder. "As you and Zoey have said; we're soldiers. Soldiers don't change the world; politicians do. We need to rely on people like Norah and Edward to do the right thing."

"Why did you come back, Francis?" Zoey asked. "I mean, _really_ why did you come back here with us? You're not the kind of guy who is idealistic or who wants to change the world."

"All my life I never really belonged," Francis explained. "I was a bit of an outcast. I got into fights; I was annoying, I hated everything."

"Yeah, we know that part," Louis joked.

"But since I met you guys everything just felt… I dunno. Everything was just good. I feel like I belong with you guys."

Zoey smiled.

"So that's why I came back here," Francis summarised. "Besides; you assholes wouldn't last five minutes without me."

* * *

Miguel was walking through one of the corridors of the medical area. It was eerily quiet and his footsteps echoed loudly. He had been sent here when he had asked someone if they knew where Norah was. Apparently this was the last place anyone saw her go.

He looked everywhere. After walking past a creepy looking operating theatre with a two way mirror he went down a few levels. He found empty recovery rooms but no Norah. Further down Miguel was surprised to find what looked like a set of relatively advanced laboratories. There was an empty basement another level down and a few levels below that was a small power plant. Miguel suspected that it would take a lot of energy to run an operation like this; it was a good thing that Benedict had a lot of people under his command.

The feeling of isolation giving him the creeps; Miguel left the medical area, giving up on his search for Norah. He would no doubt see her soon as the funeral was taking place in a few hours. Bill and the others had already returned with enough fuel to make a decent bonfire so all that was left to do was prepare and get ready.

As Miguel left the medical area he spotted Norah in the courtyard. She was stood a distance away from the centre where all the action was happening. He walked over to her.

"You alright?" he asked, shaking her loose from a daydream.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm good."

Miguel smiled and nodded. He stood close to Norah with his hands in his pockets. She clearly felt irritated by his presence.

"What's up?"

"Oh nothing," Miguel replied, his tone deliberately neutral.

"Well did you come over here for a specific reason?"

"Kinda. I just wanted you to know that we'll be getting on our way in the morning; after all this is over."

"Great."

"I've apprised Kathryn of the situation so she'll be waiting for us."

"You know I'm not your boss, Miguel," Norah looked at him. "You don't need to run things by me."

"I know," Miguel nodded. "But you are the person I was sent here to bring back and I just want to make sure that you're good with everything." He looked at her with a slight glint in his eye. "You are good, right?"

"I'm grand."

"Really?"

"Seriously, Miguel, why are you here?"

"I dunno," he looked back at the bonfire assembly. "You just seem a bit… off."

"Well one of the people I've been working with for about a year was shot right in front of me. I'm sure you'd be a bit off too if you saw bullets tear through your friend's body."

Miguel sensed that she was attempting to make him feel uncomfortable in order to change the topic. He ignored it.

"You weren't exactly friends, though, were you?"

Norah looked at him out of the corner of her eye. She was concerned all of a sudden.

"What do you mean?"

"Well I was chatting with Ellis during dinner last night. He told me that you and Nick had a falling out of sorts and weren't on the best of terms."

Norah forced a laugh that was obviously false.

"Yes well Ellis isn't really the most perceptive of people. He's a good mechanic but I think he was having a cigarette when God was handing out the brains."

"Hm," Miguel folded his arms. "I can see why some people would get that impression."

Norah felt a mild sense of relief. _Dodged that bullet_.

"That's why I spoke to Nick about it."

Norah's mouth fell open a bit but she managed to disguise her surprise by saying "oh?"

"He said that you blamed him for the death of your best friend. He said that you felt particularly strongly about it."

"Why did you ask Nick these questions?"

"I felt that I was being responsible by asking. After all you two were about to take a long cross Atlantic trip together in a confined environment. I wanted to see how likely it was you two might come to blows and potentially disrupt the operation."

"I see," Norah's tone was slightly flustered. "Well why did you go to Nick and not myself?"

"I was going to talk to you next but then Nick died."

Silence followed. Norah and Miguel both looked forward at the bonfire. Neither of them said a word or did anything for a very long time. Norah decided that she would break the silence as for each passing second she seemed more and more suspicious.

"I know what you're implying."

"What are you inferring?"

"You think I killed Nick because I was angry that he was inadvertently responsible for Danielle's death."

"People have killed for less," Miguel sighed. "Hell, the infected kill for the hell of it."

Norah turned to face Miguel. He just turned his head to look at her.

"This is inappropriate and I really do not appreciate being accused of murder, especially when we are about to cremate the deceased. Show some respect!"

Norah stormed away, leaving Miguel standing there on his own. He watched her enter the manor house and slammed the door behind her. Miguel's eyes narrowed.

* * *

It was time. The bonfire had been lit and the flames were being well sustained. All that was left was the body. With the absence of a casket, Benedict had placed a sturdy table outside and provided a stretcher so that Nick could be transported and placed onto the table while the service went underway. Francis and Coach stepped into the room where Nick had been placed to find Ellis on the floor next to the bed. He insisted that he be allowed to carry Nick outside. Francis stepped aside and Coach and Ellis carried Nick through the corridor and out into the main hall.

Everyone was there waiting for Nick. Many members of Benedict's Clan made up the numbers. Pam was holding the door to the outside open as Coach and Ellis went through with everyone else slowly following. Rochelle went first outside so she could stand where she wanted. In the crowd, Norah watched her with anxious eyes. Miguel, who was walking with Madison, watched her closely.

"Oh the poor thing," he heard Cassandra whisper. He looked to her.

"Huh?"

"Norah, bless her. She's so torn up about what's happened." _Yeah, right_, mused Miguel. "I saw her earlier today; she felt so bad about not being able to help him. I told her that she wasn't even there when he was shot; no one was, but she still feels like she could have done more."

Miguel frowned slightly.

"Say again?"

"Norah, she told me that she feels terrible about it. I guess that's what people who discover the body always feel like, though: they feel like they should have been quicker."

"So you're saying that Norah didn't see Nick getting shot?"

"Of course not! How could she have when she found him after it had happened?"

Madison promptly shushed the two but Miguel had heard what he needed.

Norah had lied to him. Or she had lied to Cassandra. Then his eyebrows narrowed further.

_Maybe she lied to everyone_?

Everyone formed a half-moon shape around the bonfire with Nick being placed on the table in the centre. Rochelle, Coach and Ellis were stood together, lamenting in the fact that their original quartet had now become a trio. Norah was separated from them slightly, stuck in the crowd. Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey stood with Cassandra, Miguel, Madison and Malcolm close by. Drake and Teek were together deep in the crowd. Benedict was wheeled out by Pam to give a speech. Pam stood next to Benedict with her head bowed and her hands behind her back. Benedict cleared his throat.

"It is great sadness that brings us here today. Our beloved friend and valued teammate Nick has been taken away from us so suddenly and so cruelly. Even though I did not know Nick as well as some of you did," his eyes lingered on Rochelle for a moment. "I still feel a profound sense of loss and a great sense of waste. There is one less good man in this world; one less teammate to share supplies with, one less ally to watch out for us in the dark, one less friend to pick us up as we fall. The world is far too short of good men especially in these dark times. When some men were destroyed by this new world and where some men were blackened by it; Nick was a rare man who stood tall and remained strong. He was a leader, a team player and above all he was one of us. He is someone who should be remembered and he is someone who will be remembered."

Benedict finished his slightly awkward prepared speech, cutting it short by a few minutes. Pam rested a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"If anyone would like to share a few stories or experiences with us about Nick then please feel free to do so."

After a brief moment of hesitation Coach decided to step forward. He cleared his throat.

"Nick was someone I could always count on. When we first met each other it was on the rooftop of a hotel that was being used as a pickup point for survivors back when all this started. As you can see that plan didn't really work out too well."

One or two people chuckled quietly. Coach let out a brief smile before he went on.

"Anyway from the first moment we met we worked well as a team. We were good, me, him, Ellis and Ro. We were a good team. Without Nick I don't think we'd even be standing here… He was a part of our team that's just… irreplaceable. He was a real good guy, one of the best. I don't know how we're gonna…"

Coach fell silent and bowed his head. He took a step back, holding back emotion. Benedict opened up the floor for anyone else to say anything.

"I've got something I'd like to say." Norah stepped forward. Miguel eyed her with suspicion. "When I first met Nick I had a feeling as if he were a man with power, a man who always did the right thing, a man with morals and ethics. Over the past few months I've spent with him I can see that that was the case. Nick was such a good person I can't fathom why someone would kill him. I can't place the evil that must have existed to have been able to pull the trigger." She paused with fake but more or less believable emotion. Miguel could see right through her. "I regret that we had a serious disagreement over the final days of his life. Had I known what I know now I would have apologised to him and fixed everything. I can't bear the thought of him leaving us thinking that I hated him because the truth is that I felt honoured to have been classed as one of Nick's friends." Miguel winced at her words. She glanced around the group before finishing up.

"I will always miss him."

Norah went back to her spot after a moment of silence, leaving a foul taste in Miguel's mouth. Benedict asked if anyone else wanted to say something. Ellis took a step forward but it was all he could do to keep himself from bursting into tears so he retreated back. As Benedict was about to finish Rochelle stepped forward, walking out into the centre of the gathering and standing close to Nick. His body was covered in a white sheet. She looked at him for a moment before speaking. She did not look away.

"It's funny hearing all these stories about Nick. Its nice hearing how people thought of him; that they respected him that they liked him because he was a nice, good and decent person." Rochelle glanced up at everyone. "It's nice to hear but it's not true." An awkward hush fell over everyone.

"Don't get me wrong; most of you know Nick as a good guy but when I met, when _we_ met him," she gestured to Coach and Ellis, "he was a bit of a dick. He was rude, cocky and totally self-involved. Back in the hotel when we all met as some of us fell behind Nick was perfectly happy to keep on running and leave us all behind. I guess you could go as far as to say that he was one of the people you wouldn't mind seeing turn into a zombie."

Rochelle paused for a moment, placing her hand on the table, near Nick.

"That's what he was like, I guess. Nick was a dark guy. He had demons, darker demons than most of us. In order to try and please his father he did things, some of them horrible, in the hope that it would bond them. His father turned out to be a pretty bad guy and Nick vowed to change so he would not be one of those bad guys. That is when he started becoming decent. That is when he started being honourable. That is when he became who he is today.

"Shortly before he decided to change I found myself pointing a gun at Nick. He may not have been a good guy but I was definitely a bad guy. All my life I had been doing bad things for some greater good. I was misguided but I was definitely evil. When it came time for me to shoot Nick I couldn't. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I was a cold, calculating, ruthless bitch. I killed many people before and yet I couldn't shoot Nick. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't do it."

Everyone leant in, captivated by her story.

"I couldn't do it because I loved him." A tear fell down her face, the first she had shed since he died. "I loved him. I still love him and I always will love him. I loved him when he was an asshole and I loved him when he had changed. I saw that deep down Nick was a complex person just like all of us. Over time he proved to me that he cared for me too by always looking out for me and helping me. He was the first person I ever truly opened up to. He is the first person I've ever loved. I feel like he's always been there for me. I'm just sorry that I couldn't have been there for him."

Norah shuffled her feet.

"I just want people to remember that Nick was an asshole," Rochelle said in conclusion. "But the fact that he wanted to be better than that means he was something different all together; something that few people can claim to be; he was brave. I wish I was brave and had told him how I feel…"

Rochelle sniffed and walked away. Coach wanted to embrace her but he forced himself to stop. Benedict cleared his throat and began to conclude the ceremony. He started saying a prayer for Nick, with everyone repeating his words as he spoke. When he was finished he gestured to Coach and Ellis to take Nick away. They went to the table to take Nick over to the bonfire. As they placed their hands on the stretcher to lift him up there came a piercing sound from up above.

It was the whistling sound of a firework shooting high into the air, only without the bang at the end. Everyone looked up and saw a glowing white light slowly falling down toward them. There came another noise and then another and two more lights appeared in the sky. Miguel frowned as he saw them; they looked as if they had been launched from somewhere nearby. He glanced around and thought he saw something in the distance. He saw people.

People with guns.

"Everyone get down!" he shouted. The white lights suddenly exploded in a bright flash, startling everyone. Miguel, anticipating the flashes, had his eyes closed. People started to scream and run in all directions. Emerging from the darkness were people dressed in army fatigues. They were able to disable each person they ran into by hitting them with the butts of their state of the art weapons.

Bill, squinting through the light, saw a soldier approaching and took out his pistol and began firing. The gunshots caused more people to panic and storm out of the place. Coach and Ellis were knocked aside by a group of people and taken away from the table, leaving Nick there. The crowd ran at the table, knocking it over and sending Nick onto the floor. As his head hit the ground hard his dead eyes opened.

Miguel had lost Madison. He could not see Norah. He could see through the crowd Rochelle standing slightly apart. He attempted to make his way over there.

Madison was fighting back against a wall of people; Bill's gunshot had caused a stampede. She did not know who were attacking them but a defensive strategy was needed and fast. An arm reached out through the people and pulled her into some open space. Madison came face to face with Norah who asked if she was okay. When Madison asked what was going on, soldiers appeared and pointed guns at them.

Bill had managed to shoot a soldier in the chest but he wore armour making the shot ineffective. Bill was suddenly surrounded by soldiers who incapacitated him. They had done the same with Francis, Louis, Zoey and Cassandra. Drake, Teek and Malcolm put up an admirable fight before they, too were restrained.

Miguel pushed past everyone in his way to get at Rochelle. That is when he saw the men in white hazmat suits appear from nowhere, surround her and take her away. He began shouting at them but then felt someone grab a hold of his shoulder and turn him around. Miguel spun on the spot and came face to face with Kathryn Stevens. He was so surprised he was taken aback by her sudden appearance. Before he could say anything he felt something hit him on the back of his head and everything went dark.

The funeral was over.

* * *

When he came to the first thing that he was aware of was that he could not see. He must have been blindfolded. He tried to move his arms to take the blindfold off but found that he could not move. Each time he tried to move his limbs he struggled as if they were heavily restrained. He let out an echoing groan as he tried as hard as he could to break out of his restraints but stopped after a few moments of trying.

He felt exhausted. The back of his head hurt. What had he been hit with? Who hit him?

Norah.

He felt anger toward Norah.

He let out a dejected sigh and heard the echo again. He felt quite cold. What room was he in? One of the empty labs in the medical centre? The basement? He felt frustrated that he was blind and helpless.

Then he heard it; the voices. From a short distance away the sound of two people talking could be heard. Managing to tilt his head ever so slightly, he listened.

"The commander wants us to make sure that her little friends don't try anything," said one voice. "They're a loyal group apparently."

"We'll just bang them on the sub and get them out of here; they won't think about her if they've got the taste of freedom in their mouths."

"I dunno why they'd care about her; she's toxic…"

The voices faded.

They were talking about Rochelle as they walked by; it must have been her. _What are they going to do with her? Why are they letting the rest of us go? Why the fuck can't I move?_

With renewed purpose he tried to move again. Once again he stopped. This time it was not because he had no energy, it was because he could see something in the darkness.

He wasn't blindfolded at all; he was being kept in a dark room. He could see in the distance the outline of something large. His vision slowly became more clear, as if he could see beyond the darkness. He saw the two guards clearly even though they were now quite far away.

He had more energy, in fact he felt incredibly energetic.

He looked around and, even though he could not see them, he knew where other guards were.

As if his restraints had melted away, he was able to sit up. He glanced up and saw that the large outline he had seen was actually the manor house. He stood up and folded his arms in the cold, feeling something on his chest.

He looked down and saw three gunshots.

Nick looked back up, bemused.

"Well I'll be God-damned."


End file.
